


The King of the Runaways

by DemDifferentStories



Category: Bring Me The Horizon, Crown The Empire, David Escamilla - Fandom
Genre: Abduction, Action, Alternate Universe, Bad Guy!Oli Sykes, Bargaining, Breaking and Entering, Damsel in Distress, Eventual Romance, Explosions, F/M, Fire, Gang Leader!David Escamilla, Gangs, Graduation, Guy Fawkes - Freeform, Happy Ending, High School, Hostage Situations, Manipulation, Masks, Masquerade, Mind Control, Motorcycles, Obsession, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, Orphans, Psychological Torture, Ransom, Rise of the Runaways, Romance, Secret Base, Secret Messages, Secret love, Sexual Harassment, Stuttering, Suspension, The Fallout, Threats, Thriller, Torture, Trauma, Vigilantism, anonymous, forest, gang leader, rival gangs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 33,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25420684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemDifferentStories/pseuds/DemDifferentStories
Summary: "I am the motherfucking king of the runaways, darling."Rain Hoover has had an average, yet satisfactory life. A caring brother, high grades, a few friendships. But her normal life will start to crumble and fall when she becomes involved with something she can't escape. A mysterious man promises protection, but can she really trust him?Originally posted on Wattpad from 2015 and completed in 2018.
Relationships: David Escamilla/Original Female Character, Oli Sykes/Original Female Character





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is DemDifferentStories from Wattpad. I originally wrote The King of the Runaways (rewritten version) from 2015 to 2018 on Wattpad (warning, this story isn't fantastic quality). I decided to broaden my audience by posting my already complete stories to AO3, which I will continue doing with each story I finish. 
> 
> If you would like to read my stories as I update them, feel free to check out my Wattpad account - same username :)
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Original A/N:

**R A I N ' S P O V**

I fiddle with my rings as I walk through my school's courtyard, the only sounds in my ears is Dallas Green's sweet voice. This all changes with a quick, pain-filled cry. I quickly turn off my music and look for the source of the cries. I hear a yell of protest coming from near the library and I dash over, not stopping once. I reach my destination and see my brother on the floor being beaten ruthlessly.

"Hey! Fuck off!" I yell, leaping to my brother whilst pushing his attackers off him. I study his face - a busted lip, bruised jaw, bleeding nose, tiny cuts everywhere and small bruises forming. I look to the perpetrators and I'm not surprised to see Oliver Sykes as the ringleader. His cold, piercing stare attaches itself to my body, and I suddenly feel uncomfortable. His hands have my brothers blood, his shoes have my brothers saliva.

"Stay out of this, Rain," he growls, stepping towards me. Brandon, although injured and in pain, quickly stands up as Oli moves closer. I motion for both of them to stop.

"I believe I have a good reason to be involved in this. You're beating up my brother," I say calmly, still struck by _his_ stare. Oli takes his final steps and is now only a few centimetres away from my face.

"Brother or not, don't get yourself involved. You wouldn't want to get hurt now would you?" he whispers threateningly, I raise an eyebrow and stare at his hard face. Oliver Sykes is thinking of something, he intends for it to happen, _and it involves me_. Oli and his gang leave, leaving me and Brandon alone.

"Come on let's get you cleaned up," I mumble, grabbing my brother's hand.

**\---**

I lightly dab Brandon's cuts, trying to remove as much dirt and bacteria as possible. As I tend to his wounds, he plaits a small section of my hair.

"Why didn't you tell me it was them, Bran? I could've done something about it sooner," I sigh, placing a bandaid on one of the larger cuts. He tucks my now plaited hair behind my ear.

"B-b-b-because they wo-o-would've come a-a-after you. Little cloud, yo-o-ou know h-h-h-how they are," he stutters, tugging at the drawstring of his hoodie. I look at the clock.

"We have to go to next period," I tell him, brushing some stray hairs away from his now dirt-free face.

"You share a class with h-him, a-and I-I'm not t-there..." he quietly mutters.

"I'll be alright, Brandon," I smile, kissing his forehead. I grab my bag and walk to the door.

"See you in a bit," I wave, exiting as the bell rings.

**\---**

I sit at my usual desk, already pulling out my things required for class. Oli walks into the room, his piercing gaze fixated on me once again. He and his group usually sit in the back, but today Oli sits directly behind me so I can feel his death stare mentally stabbing me for the next hour. I sigh, opening my textbook. Instead of seeing a pie chart, I see a small, yellow sticky note written messily upon.

**_You are in risk, Miss Hoover. I am here to help. I need you to come to the war section in your library today at lunch. You will find another note there with some instructions for you. Unfortunately, I am not able to give you those instructions now, but I shall explain later._ **

**_Sincerely, the king of the runaways._ **

I raise an eyebrow before folding up the strange note and placing it in my bag. I avert my attention to the lesson, but all I can think about is Oliver and the note sitting in my bag.

**\---**

The bell rings and everyone is quick to scatter except for Oli and I. Swinging my bag onto my shoulders, I thank my teacher and leave the classroom. In my peripheral vision, I see Oli following closely. I pick up speed and I reach the library, Oli nowhere to be found. I sigh in relief and enter the building. When I enter, I feel a sudden warmth greet me. I smile at the librarian, Mrs Perkins, and walk to the 'war' section.

I scan the bookshelves, looking for my promised instructions. I notice a mask peeping out of one of the shelves and immediately walk over. I remove the mask, seeing it's a Guy Fawkes mask. I flip over the mask and see another sticky note.

**_You've found my face, now here are the instructions I've promised._ **  
**_After school, tell Brandon that you have a job interview and go to the park. Sit on one of the benches and I will come to find you. Do not respond to anyone else than me, even a child cannot be trusted._ **  
**_Please do not leave with anyone else after school. Only respond to the name in the last note I gave you._ **

I take the note, putting it in my bag next to the other one. Who is this person, why am I in risk? Numerous thoughts and questions pop into my head as I place the mask back where I found it and leave the library. I find myself in the student's parking, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. Just as I begin to turn back, I'm suddenly pulled against someone's chest. I struggle to get out of their grip.

"Rain..." Oli says, inhaling. I move uncomfortably against his chest. He has an iron grip on me, and I continue to fight even though I know I can't escape.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" I whine as he grips me tighter.

"We... are gonna go somewhere together..." he vaguely replies as he pushes me towards the cars. He unlocks his car and immediately forces me inside. I try kicking him but to no avail. Is this what the person is trying to warn me about?

"Hey, stop that," he snaps, grabbing my leg and buckling me into the passenger seat. He slams my door and enters into the driver's side. I reach for the door, but I'm stopped by child lock. He turns on the ignition and speeds away from the school.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I whisper, he doesn't look at me as he skids through the streets. We reach an abandoned apartment complex. A large construction fence surrounds us, meaning no one can help. I'm stuck with Oli. I hear my door being opened, and I'm violently pulled out of the car. Oli locks the car and drags me to the building. We walk around for a while before we stop on the highest floor. I'm tied to a chair, and Oli reveals a gun from his waistband.

"I'm going to enjoy this..." he mumbles quietly, yet darkly. My eyes widen. He places the cold metal against my temple as I begin to cry.

"Come out, come out! You said you'd protect her!" he yells loudly. Is he talking to 'the king'? He frowns, pressing the gun further into my skin to the point my skin has been cut. Oli yells in frustration, untying me from the chair and throwing me to the ground. He gets on top of me, placing the barrel on my forehead.

I close my eyes, waiting for the pain to come. I hear the gun cock as I pray, knowing the pain is going to come any second. I feel relief when all of the weight is thrown off me. I open my eyes and watch as an unidentified person slams Oli against the wall. He turns to me and takes my hand.

"Let's go, darling." I don't have time to say anything before the man begins to run down the staircase, pulling me with him.

"GET BACK HERE!" I hear Oli scream, making the man and I pick up speed.

"Quick, hold onto me," the man instructs, making me wrap my arms around his neck as he picks me up. I suddenly feel the wind rushing through my hair, and I realise the man jumped from the staircase. We land on the ground, and he immediately pulls me up.

**K I N G ' S P O V**

I run as fast as I can with the stuffy mask on my face, loaded gun in my right hand and Rain's hand in my left. I pull her into an empty closet, placing my hand around her mouth. Footsteps race past us, and I remove my hand.

"Who are you?" she whispers, looking into my eyes.

"I'm the motherfucking king of the runaways, darling," I pant.

"So you're the one who gave me the notes." I nod, cautiously opening the door. Oliver is nowhere to be seen, so I motion for her to come out.

"I'm taking you home, it would be the end of your school time by the time we'd get back." She nods as I take her hand and lead her through the construction site. We exit through the back, where my car is parked.

"I'd recommend you don't tell your family or friends about this, you could put yourself into danger," I inform her. She nods as I unlock the car, allowing her to enter first. I enter, buckling myself up.

"I never got to thank you for saving me..." she says. I smile underneath my mask.

"No problem, it's my duty," I reply before quickly driving away from the construction site.

**\---**

**R A I N ' S P O V**

"R-Rain? R-RAIN!" I hear Brandon scream as he sees me. He runs towards me and pulls me into a hug, our tears falling onto each other's shoulders as we shrink down onto the floor.

"D-don't s-scare m-me l-like t-that e-ever a-again..." he cries. I clutch the fabric of his sweater as we hold each other tighter.

Thank you for that man.


	2. Chapter 2

**R A I N ' S P O V**

Brandon and I finally reach our school after a long and agonising walk. He turns to me and frowns.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk about the other day... but if you change your mind I'm all ears," he says, lightly placing his hand on my shoulder. After I was reunited with Brandon I refused to say a word about what happened, and that's how I plan for it to stay.

"Thanks, Bran," I smile, hugging him. I begin to walk to my class but I'm stopped by Brandon calling my name. I turn around, looking at him.

"Don't forget we're hanging out with Andy tonight!" he reminds me. I nod before continuing to walk. I enter inside, walking to my locker. As I begin entering my code, I see a bruised and beaten up Oli walking down the hall with his hood up. I furrow my eyebrows before unlocking my locker.

A small, wrinkled note falls out of my locker, obviously torn out from a notebook and not from 'the king'. Tears of anger immediately spring to my eyes as I read the note. How _dare_ he?

**_If you tell anyone about what happened, you and your brother are fucked, princess._ **

I see Oli walking towards me in the corner of my eye. I shove the note in my bag and grab my books, slamming the busted door shut. I quickly lock it and speed down the hall. _Why does he want to hurt me? Why me?_ As I soon come back to reality I realise my face has gone red in anger, and that my knuckles have turned white from gripping my books.

I feel a hand touch my shoulder and I immediately whip around and smash the person in the face with my books. As the person falls to the floor I realise it's Brandon. I gasp, dropping my books and crouching down to him.

"I'm so so so so sorry, Brandon - I wasn't thinking and I-" I stumble on my words, but he silences me.

"I'm fine, but are you? Ever since yesterday you've been acting... weird," he softly responds, standing up. I stand up, holding my books like a shield.

"I'm fine," I reply, rubbing my face. He wraps his arms around my body securely before kissing my temple.

"Little cloud, please tell me if there's anything wrong," he begs. I nod as the bell rings. He kisses my forehead before walking to his class. I begin close my eyes, sighing quietly before walking to my class.

It's gonna be a long day.

**\---**

I block out everything my teacher is saying. Everything that has happened to me so far is like an impossible puzzle, I look at the pieces but I don't see a picture. But like every puzzle, it always gets solved in the end. To keep my mind off this situation I decide to pay attention to whatever my teacher is saying.

"- for this project, I want you to create pop art with pop culture." A smile creeps onto my face.

_Perfect_.

The class began to sketch and draft ideas, but I already know what I want to do. I open my artbook and begin to sketch the iconic mask, whilst noting down particular colours and features I want to include. In the corner of my eye, I see my teacher walk over to me.

"The Guy Fawkes mask... may I take a look?" she asks, to which I nod. Her fingers trace the outlines and shading. She returns my book. Crossing her arms softly, she looks into my eyes.

"Why'd you choose Guy Fawkes, Miss Hoover?" I look up with a small smile on my face.

"A friend of mine gave me some inspiration."

**\---**

"Hey Rain, you remember Andy right?" I hear Brandon call as he walks over with a boy next to him. They stop and reach me. I look at the boy. He's about Brandon's age, with black hair and a large hoodie on.

"Kind of... you're close with Brandon, aren't you?" I ask. He nods and Brandon smiles.

"He was the one that accidentally punched me in the throat last summer," he laughs.

"Oh yeah! Well, nice seeing you again," I remember. Andy gives me a small smile before looking at Brandon.

"You too. We were wondering if you wanted to go out with us? We were thinking of grabbing dinner, seeing a movie after," Andy says. I raise an eyebrow.

"Sure, why not?" I laugh. Andy smiles with happiness.

"Sweet! I have my car with me, so if you want we can stop by your guys' place so you can get ready and we can go?" Brandon and I nod in agreement.

"Awesome! Let's get going," Andy exclaims before leading us to his car. As we reach his car I notice Oli nearby in his car, staring me down. I quickly enter Andy's car. Calm down, Rain. Andy and Brandon are here. They'll protect you. We begin driving down the road towards Brandon and I's house.

Don't let Oli ruin your night.

**\---**

Andy drops us off after the movies. Brandon and I stumble inside our house, tired from the night.

"Night, Bran," I mumble, kissing his forehead. I sluggishly drag myself up the stairs and enter my bedroom, shutting the door. I toss my handbag next to my closet and flop onto my bed. I close my eyes for a few seconds before getting up, walking over to my closet.

"Have you ever heard of The Wolves of Paris?" his raspy voice asks, making me jump. I stop in my tracks and turn to face him. He's standing in the corner of my room, his mask on. He walks towards me, brushing stray hairs away from my face.

"When the days had grown shortest, and the leaves all died," he begins, circling around me. "When life became scarce and all was covered in ice, there lived a pack of wolves against every odd that grew hungry and tired and needed to hunt. They'd sneak into the towns in the dead of the night, and seek fire for comfort and warmth in the light. And though they weren't evil, and knew it was wrong -“ He stops behind me and places his hands on my shoulders. I shiver at his touch, feeling his breath lightly on my neck. "They couldn't escape -” He places his lips near my ear as he whispers the final words. "- the lust for the blood." His hands slide down my arms and entwine his fingers with mine.

"What did you tell me about The Wolves of Paris?" I whisper in confusion. He turns me around to face him, placing his hands on my cheeks.

"The wolves, like Oliver, have their own strong desires they cannot stop. If you don't take precautions and be careful - he'll finally satisfy his lust for your blood," he answers. He walks over to my school bag and pulls out the note from Oli. He reads it quickly before tossing it in the bin.

"Those are empty threats darling, don't believe him," he tells me, walking over to the window. He turns to me and blows a kiss before jumping out my window. I run over to my window and poke my head out and see he's gone already. This guy has got me wrapped around his fucking finger.

**\---**

**U N K N O W N P O V**

I see Oli standing in the distance, smoking as he stares at the cars speeding down the road. I walk towards him, and he turns towards me. He opens his mouth to say something, but I punch him in the jaw before he can say a thing. He drops his cigarette in the process, and I pick it up.

"I told you not to get her fucking involved!" I yell at him. He grabs his jaw in pain, looking up at me.

"Now he has a pathetic little obsession with her now!" I look at the cigarette before revealing a mischievous smirk. I press the lit stick into his arm making him hiss in pain. I drop the stick and step on it before kicking him in the jaw, the exact same spot.

"You fucking cunt,” he spits out, blood flying. I kick him in his gut, spitting on him.

"You're a disgrace to me, Oliver..." I mutter as he smiles. I begin to walk away but I'm stopped by the most arrogant thing he's ever said.

"You wouldn't be here without me, I do all your little dirty work... because you're too much of a goddamn pussy to do it yourself," he growls at me. I laugh loudly, walking back to him.

"You have no idea what I do for a living, kid.” I kick him again before walking away. I wipe away his bloody saliva that has landed on my face and open the phone. I open up the picture of her.

"I wonder what he would do if something were to happen to you," I chuckle to myself, turning off my phone. I turn around to see him limping towards me.

"Time for you to do some more _dirty work_ , Mr Sykes," I mock.

"I'm assuming it involves her?"

"Yes, it involves her," I roll my eyes.

"Well, what do I have to do?"


	3. Chapter 3

**K I N G ' S P O V**

My legs dangle from the building as I look down at the teenager being beaten up. I pull on my hoodie before jumping down. I land lightly, and the boys stop beating up the teen. They all look at me in annoyance.

"What do you think you're doing?" I bark, walking towards them. The ringleader walks towards me before trying to push me. I don't move.

"It's none of your fucking business!" he immaturely spits.

"Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?" I growl, walking to him. 

"No. Why does it matter? Get out I here before I kick your ass!" he yells. I grab him by the collar of his shirt as his friends freeze in fear.

"Listen here you little shit, leave this kid alone. Leave every fucking kid you've bullied alone or else I'll be the one kicking your ass! Now, why don't you go home and cry to your mommy with your filthy mouth," I snarl harshly in his ear. He stares at me in horror before running off, his friends following. I turn the teen who's now gotten up.

"You alright?" I question, inspecting his body for any sort of injury. He nods.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you," he smiles, running his hand through his hair. I stick out my hand.

"What's your name, kid?"

**\---**

**R A I N ' S P O V**

Andy and I walk through the hallway, discussing an upcoming maths assessment in Andy's class.

"Yeah that could wo- fuck," he mumbles, running his hand through his hair. We stop walking and I turn to him raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?" I ask, he looks at me.

"I forgot my books at my locker..." he explains. I nod before beginning to walk in the direction of the lockers. He grabs my wrist and I turn back.

"Nah it's fine, you go catch up with Brandon," he smiles. I raise my eyebrow, crossing my arms.

"Are you sure?" he nods.

"I'll see you soon," he assures, walking away. I wave at him as he runs off. I adjust my bag and continue walking down the hall, fastening my pace. I hear footsteps approach, and then a hand latches onto my wrist.

"Rain." _Fuck_.

"Oliver," I growl in return, turning to him. He smirks, letting go of my wrist. "What do you fucking want?" I snarl, rubbing my wrist.

"I thought you'd figured that out by now - you are smart," he laughs. I nod.

"Yeah I had figured it out. What do you want to talk about? Let me guess - the incident?" He tilts his head to the side.

"No. I wanted to talk about politics and the motherfucking weather. Apparently Donald Trump is still a dick and it should be raining tea this afternoon," he sarcastically replies, pulling my body to his. I push him off, his grip tightening in response as an annoyed facial expression grows on his face.

"Let go!" I yell at him. He grabs my jaw with his free hand.

" _Shut up!_ " he hisses at me.

"L-l-let g-g-go of her O-O-Oli," I hear Brandon stutter. I look to see Brandon standing at the end of the hall, slightly shaking. I'm pushed towards Brandon, Oli pointing a finger at me.

"We will talk later." He quickly runs off as Brandon rushes over to me. I'm pulled into his embrace as tears well up in my eyes.

"W-why won't h-he just l-leave y-you alone?" Brandon whispers, kissing my forehead. I shrug.

"Come on, let's go," I mumble walking forwards, dragging Brandon behind me.

**\---**

After telling Andy what happened, he insisted we go out for drinks to cheer me up. So after getting dressed and ready, Andy picked Brandon and I up. Now we're at the club.

Andy walks to the bouncer, patting him on the back and having a quick chat before allowing the three of us in. The club is full of people, completely packed. I fiddle with my shirt as I follow Andy and Brandon through the crowd.

"Come on you two, I wanna lighten you up!" he laughs, dragging my frightened brother towards the bar.

"Rain are you coming?" I shake my head.

"Just grab me a beer! I'll meet you guys upstairs," I say, motioning to a table on one of the balconies. My brother widens his eyes as Andy hands him a shot. _Poor child_.

I walk around the club, weaving my way through the crowd. A hand snakes around my wrist as another wraps around my waist, pulling me to their chest. I widen my eyes, panicking as we began to 'dance'.

"Play along, love," Oli's familiar voice whispers in my ear, kissing my neck. Oli leads me through the crowd as my heart thumps like thunder. We enter a room, Oli locking the door.

"W-what ar-r-r-re y-you d-d-doing?" I stutter. Oli smirks at me.

"So you've got the Hoover stutter as well," he chuckles, pressing me against the wall. His hands travel to my waist as he stares into my eyes.

"Here's what's gonna happen," he starts off, his hands inching closer to my ass. "You're going to be my girlfriend," he murmurs, nipping at my skin. "If you don't cooperate we'll continue from the incident a couple of days ago, but it will have a worse ending than intended," he growls in my ear. "Understand you lanky bitch?" he hisses in my ear. I nod, fighting the tears. His hands travel under my shirt, stroking my ribs with his thumbs before pressings his lips against mine and leaving me alone in the room. _What just happened?_

After collecting myself, I exit the room. I quickly make my way upstairs and find the guys sitting at the table. I sit down in between them, quickly taking a sip of my beer.

"You were gone for a while... you okay?" Brandon asks. I nod, inhaling.

_Just deal with it. There's nothing else you can do._


	4. Chapter 4

**R A I N ' S P O V**

I read my book in silence, lying on my bed. I sighed in frustration, begging that the book will distract me enough to get Oli out of my head. I focus on the paragraph in desperation.

_It was a picture cut from a magazine advertisement. The written message was cut away, and what remained was a drawing of a little boy on a bicycle. Oliver forced me to become his girlfriend._

I throw the book at my bookshelf as I turn onto my stomach. I scream into my pillow, knowing Brandon won't wake up. He passed out as soon as we got home. I realise I have yet to hear my book thump onto the floor, so I sit up. I see the King standing in my room, with my book in his hand.

"What's wrong, darling?" his voice whispers. I stand up, rubbing my arms. _Should I tell him?_ I mentally shake my head. _It's none of his business_.

"It's nothing," I reply, rubbing my knuckles.

"You're a terrible liar, you know that?" he chuckles. He grabs my hand, pulling me towards my window. He moves my head so I can see a tower, only just visible in between the trees. He wraps his arm around my torso. "If you're in any trouble, come there and people I know will be there." I nod as he places his other arm around my torso.

"Why are you protecting me?" I ask, rubbing my knuckles again. He pulls me softly into his embrace, covering my face. I hear the soft rustle of him removing his mask. His lips touch my head, a light kiss given.

"Because you are worth saving," his voice whispers, the smoothness and huskiness of his voice is much more clear without the mask. I hug him softly as he places his mask on again. I let go, and I look up, only to see his mask in disappointment.

"What does DE stand for?" I mumble. He places a hand on my shoulder.

"Well I'll tell you this as you will be hearing more names soon - but the E stands for Escamilla." I feel cold as his touch leaves me. He waves at me before jumping out my window. A box flies into my room a second later. I pick it up, slowly removing the red ribbon. I remove the lid and gasp in shock. A female version of Guy Fawkes mask sits, surrounded by red tissue paper. I glide my fingers over the details. I pick up the mask, turning it over. A note sits inside.

**_We all have our own faces in the runaway, and I believe this one fits you perfectly._ **

_-_

**_Escamilla_ **

I place the mask on my face, turning to the mirror on my door. The mask fits me perfectly, just as the note says.

_He's right_.

**\---**

The bell rings loudly, signalling lunch. The moment I've been dreading all weekend and day. As I slip on my bag I feel an arm snake around my waist.

"Hey, babe," Oli whispers, beginning to guide me out the door. I force on a smile.

"Hey."

"You ready?" he smirks. I nod, but on the inside, I'm screaming ' _FUCK YOU, I WILL NEVER BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND._ '

"Good," he replies, kissing my cheek. We walk down the hallway, stares basically pouring onto us. We enter the cafeteria, immediately walking to Oli's table. We slide onto the seat, Oli's friends staring at us in shock.

"Mate, when you said you had a girlfriend I thought you were talking about a slag or someone. Not one of the most fucking intelligent people in our school," his friend gasps. I blush as Oli brushes some hair out of my face.

"Matt you're making her blush! That's my job," he grins, kissing my cheek again. I force a giggle. "Babe, these are my friends," he says. I look up and see four guys sitting around us. "Matt N, Jordan, Lee and Matt K, also known as Vegan," he explains. I rub my knuckles, smiling softly.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Rain Hoover," I mumble. Vegan raises an eyebrow.

"Are you Brandon's sister?" I nod. I notice that his knuckles are bruised with tiny cuts.

"Speaking of Brandon, we're gonna leave him alone now. That ain't fair on my girl if her boyfriend is beating up her brother," Oli announces, rubbing my knuckles. I tense up, not only because of the newfound news but the fact he was already picking up on my habits.

"But he is so much fun to tease! No offence Rain," Jordan quietly murmurs. I shake my head.

"No worries. I'll be right back, I need to go to the bathroom," I mutter, kissing Oli's cheek quickly before making my way to the bathroom. If I'm gonna be Oli's girlfriend, may as well play the part. I find myself in the bathroom relatively quickly. I breathe in softly, suddenly feeling my phone vibrate. I open my phone to see notifications from a few things.

**Brandon** ❤️❤️🤙😍😍🤘  
**_Wtf is going on between you and Oli?? Find me asap. We need to talk._**

**Andy** ✌️😜  
**_Are you and Sykes together?? Just saw you two kissing?_** 🙃

I sigh in sadness. I put my phone away as two girls enter the bathroom. They look at me.

"Hey... are you and Oli together?" One asks awkwardly. I nod, smiling. They widen their eyes before entering separate stalls. I shake my head before leaving. I sit back next to Oli, stares all over me.

"Don't worry about them, they're just jealous," he says quietly, kissing my cheek once again. Oli is certainly taking things very seriously. I start a conversation with Jordan, talking about our interests.

But all I can think about is the things I'm going to have to go through during this 'relationship' of Oli and I's.


	5. Chapter 5

**R A I N ' S P O V**

Oli walks through the hall with me, his hand locked onto mine. Today was agonising and dreadful. We stop at the top of the entrance stairs, and I see Brandon leaning against a pole waiting for me. Oli turns to me, kissing me softly.

"You did so well today, baby. You played the part very well. I'll see you tomorrow," he grins, kissing my cheek. I quickly jog down the staircase, wanting to get far, far away from him. I pull Brandon in for a hug before beginning to walk down the pathway.

"Did you see my text?" he asks. I nod.

"So... what's going on?" I inhale deeply, leaning in closer to Brandon.

"He's my boyfriend. But he's promised that he and his friends are going to stop hurting you," I smile. Brandon raises an eyebrow, chuckling softly.

"You and Sykes... I can't believe only a month ago you discovered his group was beating me up and you got pissed. Now you're dating him," he sighs, ruffling my hair. I pout as Brandon laughs.

"He's not a bad guy once you get to know him..." I lie, chewing my lip. Brandon stops, motioning for me to jump on his back.

"If he dares to fucking lay a finger on you I will not hesitate to kill him in an instant. Even with the Hoover stutter and being skinny and weak," he growls before continuing to walk. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, kissing his temple.

"Love you, big brother."

"Love you, little sis."

**\---**

"I'm off to Andy's! Don't even think about inviting or letting Sykes here!" I hear Brandon call. I finish writing the theorem before tossing my pencil down.

"I promise I won't!" I hear the door shut, and I watch Brandon jog down the driveway. I smile before standing up, changing into my PJs. I lay under the covers, curling up. My eyes are quick to shut and I slowly drift off.

_I awake, only to see darkness. I can feel that my wrists and ankles bound by rope. The lights hanging above me turn on and I see Oli standing in the distance._

_"Oli?" I whimper. He looks up and walks towards me. I try and shrink back into the chair I'm tied to as he places his hands on my face. Immediately as he makes contact with my skin, black veins grow onto my skin._

_"Why are afraid of me, Rain?" he frowns._

_"I am your boyfriend after all,” he says, his voice dropping lower to a scratchy and demonic like pitch at the end. The rope falls off my body and I run straight through him._

_I stop in shock as I find Brandon on the floor with his body bloody and cut up. He’s dead. I sob and cover my mouth as he rises up, opening his eyes only to see that they have been gouged out._

_"It's your fault. If you hadn't agreed to Oli I would still be alive," he growls, blood falling out of his mouth as he spoke. He crawls towards me and grabs my hand, pulling it closer to his where his eye socket. He forces my hand inside it and I pull out a Guy Fawkes mask._

_"Run."_

_"You can't trust him."_

_"RUN."_

"R-RAIN!" I wake up - for real this time. Brandon is hovering above me.

"Y-you w-w-were shak-i-ing and s-sc-screaming and st-stuttering and c-crying," he stutters. I place my hands on my face, feeling sweat covering it. Brandon pulls me into a hug.

"D-do you want t-to talk about it?" he whispers in my ear as I place my head in the crook of his neck. I shake my head. He sighs before picking me up bridal style, taking me downstairs. He sits me down on the couch before walking to the kitchen. He returns with two plates of pancakes and our favourite toppings - whipped cream and chocolate powder. I smile before kissing his cheek, mumbling a thank you. We eat our pancakes in silence, watching an old episode of _Supernatural_ being aired. Once we both finish our pancakes he turns off the TV and turns to me.

"Come on, what's wrong?" he asks. I sigh rubbing my knuckles, a bad habit I've developed.

"I had a dream that you were dead. You kept saying it was my fault," I admit. Brandon pulls me into a hug, sighing softly.

"Y-you'll never be at fault for my death, and I'm not dying a-anytime soon." He kisses my temple.

_Hopefully, you won't have to, Brandon._

_Hopefully._

**\---**

I rub the cream on my skin, trying to fade the bruise created by Oli as soon as possible. As I rub the last of the substance in I feel a hand rest on my shoulder.

"Oliver's never been the gentle type," the King mutters. I close the container and stand up, trying to walk past him. Instead, he pulls me into his embrace, rubbing my back softly.

"It's okay, darling, let it out. No need to bottle up anymore," he whispers. My lip trembles and I burst into tears. My sobs are muffled by his coat as he strokes my head.

"It's a-all y-y-your fucking fault I-I-I-I'm in this m-mess but I don't c-c-care," I stutter. I do have the Hoover stutter as Oli said, but mine isn't as bad as Brandon's though. It's rarely around.

The King grabs my hands and places them on his mask.

"Take it off." With shaky hands, I pull off his mask and he looks down at me. His eyes are the first thing I notice, his big, soft eyes, flooding with different emotions at once. His stubble accents his face in the right ways, his thin and small lips. I'm so distracted in studying his facial features and observing his face for the first time I only now realise he's lightly stroking my lips with his thumb, studying my own face.

"You're so mesmerised by me, why?" His voice is no longer muffled now, it's clear and I can hear everything. He pulls his thumb away from my mouth, even though I was quite enjoying it.

"I could ask you the same, you've always been able to see me, but you asked first. It's just, I never expected you to show me who you are so quick, and I'm so used to seeing Guy Fawkes, not you," I answer truthfully. He smiles, making the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly.

"Well the mask is kind of hard to see with, but now that I can finally show you my face, I can finally observe yours without having to rearrange my mask," he replies. I nod at his answer.

"Do I get a name now?" I raise an eyebrow.

"David Escamilla, but call me Dave," he informs me. He puts on his mask and walks to the window. I watch as he waves before leaving the window. I walk to the window, already gone as usual. I walk to my other window, facing the street. To my shock and horror, I see Oli standing at the top of my driveway. He stares me down before walking through the side of my house.

I quickly turn off my lights and bolt into my closet - predictable, I know. I hear him climbing through my window, making me cover my mouth and nose to hide my breaths. I hear him walk around the room, looking for me. The doors are swung open, and I feel him pull me into his arms within a second.

"Baby, why are you hiding from me?" he grins.


	6. Chapter 6

**R A I N ' S P O V**

"L-l-let g-g-go," I stutter, tears threatening to fall as I try to pull myself away from Oli. He looks at me with a smirk, stroking my cheek softly.

"Now why would I do that? You haven't answered my question," he whispers, staring into my glossy eyes. His hand wraps around my throat as his smirk turns into a scowl.

"Now why the fuck where you hiding from me?" he growls, his grip slowly tightening.

"B-b-because I d-d-didn't wa-a-ant t-to see y-y-you," I manage to choke out as the tears fall. Oli shoves me against the wall, resting a free hand on my waist.

"If you fucking pull that stunt again I _won't hesitate_ to break that pretty little face of yours," he hisses. He lets me go for a second, and I shrink down the wall. I shut my eyes in fear as he walks back to me.

"Open your eyes." I open them, and I see that he's holding a rope. My lip trembles.

"P-p-please l-l-leave m-m-me a-a-alone," I cry as he grabs me by the hair, dragging me to the centre of my room. The rope is wrapped around my arms and legs, tight enough to cause a rope burn. I close my eyes as Oli places a kiss on my forehead.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to kill you," he says. I sob, wanting for this to be all over. I hear a thud and I open my eyes in shock, looking around the room. Brandon is leaning over Oli's body. I widen my eyes.

"B-B-B-Brandon?" I mumble in confusion. He quickly comes over to me, untying the rope. He pulls me into his embrace.

"I'm so sorry, I can't tell you everything right now. I need to get you to Dave," he quickly explains, lifting me up. He grabs my hand and leads me into the backyard before pulling his phone out and dialling a number.

**B R A N D O N ' S P O V**

The phone rings in my ear, and when Dave picks up the first thing I hear is his motorcycle in the background.

' _I'm on my way,_ ' he answers before I can ask him anything. ' _Go into the woods, Oli might wake up. I'll meet you near the rock wall. Is Rain okay?_ ' At this, I starting running towards the woods, Rain following me.

"Yes, she's fine. But Oli tied her up with rope, she might have a slight rope burn," I explain, looking at her forearms.

' _Okay, we can treat that back at the base. I'm almost there, be careful._ ' He then hangs up just as we reach the rock wall. We crouch down so we can't be seen but can see if Oli leaves the house. I hold Rain in my arms, letting her rest. I hear the motorcycle pull up, and I look to my right to see Dave and a Runaway. Rain stands up and quickly hugs him.

"Brandon, do you think you'll be able to ride with Adrian?" Dave asks. I nod, walking towards Adrian. I shake his hand before walking over to Rain. I hug her tightly and she hugs me back.

"I'll be back soon," I mumble, kissing her temple.

**R A I N ' S P O V**

Brandon mounts Adrian's bike, and they both disappear into the trees. Dave turns to me and hugs me softly.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I should've stayed..." he whispers, kissing my forehead. I blush softly. _Surely Dave doesn't like me? Maybe it's just a small act of comfort. But you want it to be romantic. Oh, shush subconscious._

"Rain?" Dave snaps me out of my internal argument. I look up at him.

"Yeah?" I ask, blushing again from slight embarrassment. He places a helmet on my head, smiling softly. He mounts his motorcycle, making me widen my eyes.

"We're going on _that_?" I mumble. Dave laughs as he nods.

"I promise it isn't that bad, darling. Plus I'll protect you as I said," he assures me, presenting his hand. I hesitantly take it, before mounting on the back. I immediately wrap my arms around his waist.

"Hold on tight," I hear him say. Before I can reply, we're speeding through the trees. I squeal and close my eyes, hiding my face in the crook of his neck. The wind rushes against our bodies as plants brush against our legs. I'm too afraid to let go or open my eyes. After what seems like an eternity the motorcycle stops. I open my eyes, looking up only to see an abandoned warehouse. I quickly get off the bike, not wanting to be on it a second longer. Dave removes his helmet, shaking his head. His hair is messy an- _wait. Is he blushing?_

"Just a heads up, we will be taking the motor back and will be using it for many more trips," Dave smirks. I throw the helmet at him, and he catches it without even thinking twice. He moves the motorcycle next to the building. He walks back to me before leading me to the warehouse. The doors are boarded up, making me furrow my eyebrows. A large switch is next to the door, which he lifts up to reveal a touchpad. He places his hand on the screen as a blue light flashes.

' _Recognised as 'the King'. Granted access,_ ' a robotic, female voice says. The boarded door opens, and Dave leads me in. The door shuts behind us, making him turn to me.

"Go find your brother. He should be in the medical wing," he instructs me, leaving a kiss on my forehead. _Fuck - every time he does that I blush_. I nod and walk down a dimly lit hall. I find a rusty door. I try to open but to no avail.

' _Identify yourself,_ ' a gruff, deep voice requests.

"I'm Rain Hoover - Brandon's sister," I reply, feeling nervous. The door opens, a brunette and blue-eyed man stands there as light pours into the hall.

"It's nice to finally meet you," the unnamed man says, giving me a toothy grin. His voice is normal now. I'm ushered in before he presents his hand to me. I shake it softly.

"I'm Brent Taddie, welcome to the Fallout," he smiles, presenting the room. The room is filled with hundreds of people. They're all working away at something, whether it is medical, technology or fighting related. My face brightens as Brent walks me further into the room.

"Fuck... this is amazing. Why didn't Dave let me see this sooner?" I mutter.

"Well, let's get you to your brother. He's been on edge since he's gotten here, waiting for you," Brent tells me, making me chuckle. Brandon's always worried about me. We walk to the medical wing, and immediately as I enter Brandon tackles me with a hug.

"S-shit, I was s-s-so worried Oli woke b-b-b-back up and got you," he stutters. I'm released from the hug.

"Well, here I am!" I laugh. Brandon hugs me again, not wanting to let go. A bell goes off, and Brandon motions for me to follow him.

"What's going on?" I ask, trying to keep up.

"Dave's making an announcement about you, and you need to be with him," Brandon explains, and I nod as we reach a staircase. We climb up and see Dave standing at the top.

"Let's go. Thanks, Brandon," Dave says, pulling my hand. Brandon runs back down as Dave leads me out to a balcony. He lets go of my hand and we look down to see hundreds of people.

"Runaways! Listen up, this is very important," Dave yells, silencing the whole room.

**D A V E ' S P O V**

"This girl standing next to me is Rain Hoover - Brandon's sister. For a while now she has been tormented by the enemy, especially by Oliver. It is important that we protect her. She is seen as valuable to our enemies, we have come to a conclusion they want to use her in the war," I explain, watching as the Runaways whisper with concerned looks. "But if we do everything to prevent them from getting ahold of her, we can stride forward!" Runaways cheer in response. I look over to her. _Why is such a beauty like her in a wretched life like mine? She doesn't deserve it._ I watch as she blushes as people begin to celebrate her presence and smile.

_I have feelings for Rain that can't be simply ignored._


	7. Chapter 7

**O L I ' S P O V**

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN _SHE GOT AWAY_?" he screams at me, standing up. I stare at him, not showing any emotion.

"Brandon managed to take me down, then Escamilla took her to their base," I explain, watching as his expression grows darker. He smashes the frame hung behind him.

"THAT _LITTLE PUSSY_ TOOK _YOU_ DOWN? YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKING JOKING! NOW THAT ESCAMILLA HAS HER THIS WHOLE PLAN WILL COLLAPSE!" he yells, causing me to give him a dirty look. This whole 'get Escamilla jealous, causing him to come to us and we kill him' plan was destined to fail. I leave his office with a slam to the door. Matt walks up to me, looking at me in concern. He places his hand on my shoulder, causing me to swat it away.

"Fuck off," I grumble before he can say anything.

**D A V E ' S P O V**

My eyes flutter open as I wake up, feeling happy. I slip out of my bed, standing up. I pull open my dresser and pull a sweater on, regretting sleeping shirtless. I shuffle down the bedroom hallway looking at all the number's and recalling who's in each room. I reach the end of the hall, stopping in front of Brandon and Rain's bedroom. I open the door quietly, popping my head in. Brandon is nowhere to be seen, but Rain is sleeping peacefully on her bed. I smile softly. _Fuck she's beautiful_. I close the door before continuing my walk down the hallway.

I jog down the staircase before walking into the cafeteria. A few Runaways are already awake, and as I walk past them they greet me. I walk over to the medic area, knocking on the door. Brandon answers and I smile.

"Hey," I say. Brandon ushers me in and I thank him.

"What's going on, Esc?" he asks as I sit on one of the chairs. I shrug my shoulders, picking at a loose thread on my sweater. Brandon laughs before sitting next to me.

"Come on, Dave. I've known you for a few weeks but I know that there's something up," he presses. I sigh, giving in.

"Promise you won't kill me?" I whine, causing Brandon to give me a weird look before nodding. I inhale before looking Brandon dead in the eyes. "I have feelings for Rain..." I mumble. Brandon raises an eyebrow, leaning closer.

"Pardon? I didn't hear you, man," Brandon tells me. I sigh again.

"I have feelings for Rain," I repeat, louder this time. Brandon looks at me with a blank expression. _Fuck - I think I broke him_. Brandon stands up before looking down at me.

"You... you like Rain?" He looks at me for confirmation. I nod, feeling sick. "Okay. That's fine with me," Brandon smiles. I feel relief before standing up as well. Suddenly Brandon slams me against the wall, holding a knife against my neck. My eyes widen.

"I-I-if you tr-r-try an-n-anything l-like Sykes d-d-did or hu-u-hurt m-m-my b-baby s-s-sister, I-I-I-I'll fu-u-fucking kill y-y-you," he stutters. Even with the stutter, he is still as intimidating as fuck. I gulp before nodding. Brandon removes the knife from my neck before blushing.

"Did I do o-okay?" he asks. I nod, laughing.

"Even with that stutter, you're intimidating as fuck," I tell him, patting him on the back. Brandon puts the knife down before turning to me.

"I am serious. If you hurt her, you're dead," he repeats, and I nod again. I exit out to the cafeteria, noticing a few Runaways are gone - most likely went back to bed or started working. I walk over to the table near the kitchen and grab two muesli bars before sitting at one of the empty tables. I quickly eat my food before cleaning up and walking towards the gym. I enter, noticing that it's empty. I smile before pulling off my sweater and beginning to exercise - I only slept in basketball shorts.

I start off with the punching bag, having a good go at it but still not satisfied. I inhale, closing my eyes. When I open my eyes, instead of seeing a punching bag I see _Oli_. I smirk before throwing a _good punch at his face._

**R A I N ' S P O V**

I awake in my room, noticing that Brandon isn't sleeping in his bed. I yawn before walking over to Brandon's dresser, knowing he won't care if I steal some of his clothes. I pull out a pair of sweatpants and a sweater, tossing them onto my bed. I change out of the clothes I was given last night from a female Runaway before pulling on Brandon's. I fold up the clothes before walking over to the girl's room. I leave them in a small box that sits outside of her door. Every single room has one. I'm assuming it's some sort of mailbox.

I walk downstairs, only a few people awake. I decide to take a quick self-tour around the building, as I wasn't able to get one last night. After visiting a few areas I find myself at the gym. I enter inside, hearing a punching bag being used. I shove my hands into the pockets of the sweatpants as I make my way closer to the sound. I turn a corner and see the source of the sound - Dave giving a punching bag a good beating. I watch him in fascination.

I watch as sweat trickles down his body, making me blush. _He looks hot when he's exercising. Snap out of it! This is just a small crush... or is it something more? I mean, he's the kindest and sweetest person towards me. He's also adorable, cute, generous and protective. I mean he's the perfect package, who wouldn't like him? But this doesn't feel like any other crush I've had-_

"Rain?" I'm snapped out of my internal argument. I look up and see a hot, sweaty Dave standing in front of me. I blush even more as I step back.

"Fuck- uh, hey... sorry I didn't mean to intrude, I was just looking around and-" My rambling is cut off with Dave placing his finger on my lips. He chuckles before smiling at me.

"It's okay - calm yourself. Come on, you should get something to eat and I need a shower," he says, guiding me to the door. He pulls on his sweater as I cross my arms, my blush beginning to fade away.

"Eh, I'm not really hungry," I mumble, fiddling with the sweater. Dave stops and turns to me. A devilish grin grows on his face.

"Well too bad, because you're going to eat something," he smirks. Before I can say anything, he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I groan in annoyance.

"Dave put me down!" I demand, trying to hit his back. He only chuckles as we exit the gym and he walks over to the two Runaways serving breakfast.

"Hey, Sammy and Ferris. I want you to give me everything on today's breakfast menu," he says.

"You suck, Dave. I'm not eating all of it!" I pout as Runaways who are eating begin to stare at us. I hear him thank them before he begins to walk over to a table.

"Fucks sake- Esc, why are you carrying my sister around like she's a sack?" I hear Brandon ask. I'm placed next to Brandon before Dave sits next to me. He places my breakfast in front of me before staring at me.

"I'm not leaving until you eat everything on this plate," he says. I turn to Brandon, before mouthing ' _help_ '.

"Have fun, little cloud," Brandon laughs before grabbing his empty plate and walking away. I groan before starting my meal. As I eat, I notice how Dave stares at me with a small smile on my face. Every time I look, it causes me to blush.

_David Escamilla has me wrapped around his fucking finger._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: just a warning that there are going to be a few time skips in this story, just to make it a bit more realistic. Also, so sorry I haven't updated in ages! I've been busy. Anyways, enjoy.

**R A I N ' S P O V**   
**_A month later..._ **

Ever since that night, Oli and I's 'relationship' ended. We covered it up by saying we 'lost our connection' - pathetic excuse, I know. Brandon also explained that he joined the runaways after Dave had helped him one day from being beaten up, and has been trained in the medical area. I've begun training in the combat and a little bit of medical area.

"Alright, once you finish writing done these notes begin your response. Please include the perspectives of each character and their motives," Miss Lesley says as I finish writing down the notes from the board. I open up the book, about to skim through the first character when the intercom turns on, silencing everyone. I put my book down, looking at the intercom.

' _Rain Hoover, please report to the office as soon as possible,_ ' the office lady's voice crackles through the speaker. Miss Lesley nods at me, allowing me to go. I grab my stuff before silently leaving the room, ignoring the stares and whispers.

I make my way to the office in no time and plant myself on own of the dusty, blue chairs. Regina, the office lady, pokes her head out of her tiny office before pointing to the principal's office. I mumble a 'thanks' before walking down the hall. I give a short knock on his door before hearing him say 'come in.'

"Ah, Miss Hoover. Please take a seat," Mr Shawn says as I walk in, gesturing to the wooden seat in front of him. I sit down, placing my bag next to me.

"How have you and your brother been holding up?" he asks, referring to the fact we live alone. I awkwardly twiddle my thumbs, looking down.

"It's been good. So, why did you call me up here, sir?" I ask. Mr Shawn nods, before typing a few things on his computer. He then turns the screen to face me.

"As you can see, your grades haven't been that great except Gym and Visual Arts," he begins, pointing out my grades. I nod, biting my lip again. He turns his screen away from me before placing his hands on the table.

"Your teachers and I have been very concerned. Now, of course, your parents' death must've taken a toll on you but we do want to make sure you're doing okay. I recommend you talk to your brother or the school counsellor. You're graduating in a few weeks. You wouldn't want to repeat like your brother, right?" I nod, standing up.

"I completely understand. Thank you, Mr Shawn," I reply, grabbing my bag and leaving the room. _Fucking dick_. I look at the clock and realise that school is about to end, so I begin to make my way to Brandon's class. The bell goes and I walk up to Brandon as he leaves his room. I hug him and he jumps in shock before turning back to me and hugging me back.

"Hey sis, heard you got called to the office. What's that about?" he laughs, ruffling my hair as we begin to walk to his car. I cross my arms, sighing softly.

"Grades. 'You wouldn't want to repeat like your brother, right?' Like seriously, I have more pressing things to worry about," I grumble. We reach his car and he sighs as well, turning to me.

"Don't worry about them. Come on, let's get back to the base," he replies, opening the passenger door for me. I thank him, sliding in before closing the door. Brandon joins me a few seconds later.

"Your stutter has gotten a lot better, Bran," I smile as he turns on the ignition. He adjusts his mirror before reversing out. He smiles back.

"Thanks, little cloud," he replies as we fly past the students from our school.

**\---**

Brandon and I park outside the warehouse, noticing that not many vehicles are present. We make our way inside, and we're greeted by Brent, as per usual, before making our ways to our stations - Brandon on medical and myself on combat.

I pull off my hoodie when I enter the gym, tossing it into my locker. I change into a pair of tights before walking over to the running course where one of my fellow combat members, Hayden, is preparing to practice. He stretches his legs, yet to notice me.

"Hey, Tree!" I call, making him pause and face me. He smirks, giving me a wave.

"What's up, Mrs Escamilla?" I roll my eyes. Tree loves teasing me about my crush on Dave, especially because of how awkward I act around Dave sometimes. I stand next to him, giving him a hug as I flash my famous sarcastic look.

"Haha, very funny. Now, which scenario are we playing out today? Being chased by cyborgs? Zombies?" I hum, stretching my arms. Tree stands there for a second, tapping his chin.

"I know! Freddy Krueger. The tech and weapons crew have adjusted the course, so now there are extra pop-ups," he explains, adjusting his bandana. I nod, a smirk crawling onto my face.

"Alright, have you put the CD in?" He nods. I begin putting myself into position as Tree chooses his lane. Once he positions himself I slam the button. Slipknot begins blasting through the speakers as the robotic voice begins counting down.

' _Three._ ' I look straight ahead through the holes of the gates. ' _Two._ ' I count my breaths, as Dave taught me, to keep my rhythm. ' _One._ ' I move my foot in front of me, ready to launch myself.

The siren goes off, the gates flying open. Tree and I bolt through the gates just as the guitar riff picks up, adrenalin already pumping through my veins. I jump over a wall, grabbing onto the ladder and sliding down. A wooden 'enemy' pops out, and I dodge within a second. In the corner of my eye, I watch as Tree nearly gets hit by a pole, making me laugh to myself. I army roll through a hole before diving into the foam mat. I'm already ahead of him and it's only been a minute.

I chimney climb the walls before launching myself over, grabbing the rope to give myself a soft landing. A new pop-out appears, and I dive underneath. _I must say, the tech and weapons crew have really outdone themselves this time_. I smirk when I see the exit gate, excitement rushing to my head.

"HAHA! GUESS WHAT, TREE? YOU CAN SUCK MY NON-EXISTENT DI-" my sentence is cut short as I fly through the gates and unexpectedly fall on top of Dave. He stares at me as his cheeks turn red, and I feel mine burn red. _I'm literally sitting on top of him like we're about to fuck_. We're paralysed by shock and embarrassment.

"Uh- um- Jesus-" Dave stammers.

"FUCK YOU, RA-" Dave and I's heads snap to our right just as Tree jumps out the gate. He turns to us, causing me to jump off Dave. Tree smirks at me, laughing quietly. "I don't think I'll be the one sucking your non-existent dick, Rain," he winks before walking away. The burning feeling on my cheek returns as Dave stands up, brushing himself off. We turn to each other, the feeling of humility mutual.

"I- um, great work, Rain. I hope I can see that kind of work tonight in class," he awkwardly says. I nod as a way of saying thanks.

"Well shit, I'm really sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention," I explain, twiddling with my thumbs. He waves his hand before crossing his arms.

"It's alright, it could've been worse. How about we take a break? It's been a while since I've been able to have a proper conversation with you," he asks. I laugh, placing my hand over my face.

"Seriously, Dave? It's been two days," I laugh. He pushes me lightly before grabbing my hand and taking me back to the main centre of the gym. I blush again at the gesture, feeling butterflies in my stomach. We walk over to the aerial silks section, lying our selves in the silks, looking at the light pouring down from the skylight.

"There's this question I've been dying to ask you and Brandon, you know. It's actually kind of stupid because I've known you guys for a while now and I don't even know," Dave says, causing me to look at him. I raise an eyebrow. "Where are your parents?" I bite my lip, thinking back to what Mr Shawn said earlier.

"Well, my parents actually passed away last year, a few weeks after Brandon's eighteenth birthday. It was a car crash. We don't have any other family, so Brandon and I live alone. Because of our parents' death, Brandon failed and had to repeat. So here we are, I guess," I mumble.

"Fuck, I shouldn't have asked. I'm so sorry, Rain," he whispers. I shrug my shoulders, staring at the skylight.

"It's okay. It can be hard, sometimes. But Brandon and I are strong people," I say, biting back tears. Dave stands up from his silk and pulls me into his arms. I sob into his shoulder, digging my fingernails into his back as he rubs my back soothingly.

"It's okay, Rain. Let it all out," he soothes, picking me up, bridal style. I close my eyes as he exits the gym, taking me wherever. When I open my eyes again, we're in Brandon and I's room. He lies me down on my bed, and he sits on the chair next to it.

"Get some rest, okay? You're obviously very stressed," he asks, rubbing my forearm. I nod tiredly, closing my eyes again.

The last thing I see as I drift off to sleep is Dave whispering to himself. I don't hear what he says, but that's the last thing on my mind.

**D A V E ' S P O V**

I watch as Rain slowly falls asleep, her red eyes trying to desperately keep open.

"Get some rest, okay? You're obviously very stressed," I say, rubbing her forearm. She nods in response, closing her eyes. I smile as she looks at me a few more times.

"It's only been a few months, Rain. But fuck - I think I'm in love with you," I whisper quietly as she falls asleep.

_Love-at-first-sight may not be true to me, but I'm starting to believe it now that I've finally come to terms with the fact I'm in love with Rain._


	9. Chapter 9

**R A I N ' S P O V**

_Dave stands in front of me, holding my hands softly. I stare into his large, bright eyes. His eyes are full of love and compassion._

_"I don't ever want to lose you," he says, rubbing my knuckles. He places his hands on my face, and we kiss. A chain is thrown around my neck, and I'm dragged away as Dave screams for me to come back. I scream and sob. I'm thrown into a chair, and the chain wraps around my body, binding me to the chair. Oli stands in front of me, screaming and yelling at me. I can't hear a word he's saying. His hands slam onto my shoulders._

_"DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING IGNORE ME! YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE! DAVE ISN'T GOING TO HELP YOU, BRANDON ISN'T GOING TO HELP YOU - YOUR STUCK WITH ME UNTIL YOU FUCKING DIE!" He yells, his nails digging into my shoulders. Images flash into my brain as I slowly begin to wake up. Dave, Brandon, masks, water, skulls, red - so much red, blood, cuts, Dave crying - the images are coming faster and I can't see a thing._

I jolt awake, sweat drenching my body and face. I look at the clock on the wall in front of me.

**_4:45 pm_ **

The class starts in an hour. I lift my hand to push away my hair stuck to my sweaty forehead, but a larger hand is grasped around mine. I look over, seeing a sleeping Dave still in the chair. I smile softly, watching him sleep as he snored quietly. I brush a few locks of hair that has fallen from his gelled quiff, laughing silently as they bounce against my fingertips. I bite my lip as the memories of the nightmare that had awoken me drift away, as I'm distracted by Dave.

"Rain?" Dave whispers. I quickly retract my hand, not realising he woke up. I see him yawning as I blush, feeling embarrassed.

"Sorry, Dave," I mumble. He laughs, running his fingers through his hair.

"It's okay," he smiles, letting go of my hand. He stands up, stretching his arms and legs. He extends his hand towards me, and I grab it softly before he lifts me off the bed.

"Turn around so I can change, okay?" I ask. He blushes and turns around. I chuckle softly, shaking my head. I pull my top off, changing into a loose cotton shirt. I change into a pair of jeans before I tie my hair up. I slip on my boots as Dave opens my door, and we begin to make our way downstairs.

"How was your sleep?" he asks, looking at me. I bite my lip softly.

"I had a nightmare, but apart from that, it was pretty peaceful. I felt a bit safer when I woke up and realised you were there," I admit, crossing my arms. In the corner of my eye, I see him blushing. _Dave Escamilla, the leader of the Runaways, is blushing because I felt safe with him? This is interesting._

"Are you okay? What was it about, if you don't mind me asking?" he continues as we reach the bottom of the staircase.

"Yeah, I'm fine, now. It was really terrifying. I saw myself-" my sentence is cut off as Dave and I notice a group of young runaways running towards us. The two boys stop in front of us, panting. They begin rambling in mumbles, causing Dave and I to give each other confused looks.

"Okay, slow down. What do you two need to tell me?" Dave says, silencing both of them.

"Well, uh, Scout and I were doing the usual town check with some of the security team for training. One of the runaways spotted some guys, we think they're Sykes men. They were holding these massive devices and were going underneath the bridge," one of the Runaways explains. Dave stands in shock before grabbing my hand and pulling me to the office/balcony staircase. _What the fuck is going on?_ He opens his office doors, guiding me inside. He sits me down on one of the chairs before kneeling in front of me.

"Darling, if something is going on, please promise me you won't go. I- we can't risk losing you," he begs, holding my hands tightly. I furrow my eyebrows.

"But Dave, I'm apart of the combat team - I have to go, don't I? I'm not a trainee anymore, and there's no way in fucking hell I'm letting you send just a kid out there instead of me," I argue, squeezing his hands. He shakes his head, and I glare at him.

"For all we know, this could be just a distraction so they can snatch you without us realising. We've never done a job on the bridge before, I don't want to risk it. Oli may be in some of the worst classes at school, but he isn't dumb. So please, please fucking stay here. Please," he whispers, squeezing my hands back.

"No. I'll just stick with you, okay? If Oli is coming for me he'll have to go through quite a few people. Not to mention, I wouldn't be safe without you. Please let me come," I stare deep into his eyes. There are so many emotions in there. He kisses my cheek softly, but this time I'm not blushing.

"Fine. But you stick with either me, Brandon or Tree, okay?" he commands, standing up. I nod in response just as a runaway knocks on Dave's door. We walk over to the door, another sweaty and out of breath guy stands there - much older than the previous pair.

"A few of Sykes men were spotted earlier, and we've now been notified they've planted bombs that are meant to go off in an hour," he pants. Dave nods stiffly, exiting the office. I run down to the rest of my team, all confused. Just as one of the girls opens her mouth, the alarm for an announcement goes off. We all avert our attention to Dave standing on the balcony.

' _Everyone come quick, we don't have much time,_ ' he grunts, scanning the room. His eyes land on me, and his eyes grow darker than usual. He averts his attention back to the room, everyone finally together. ' _We've just been informed that the Sykes men have planted bombs on the bridge, supposed to detonate in one hour. We need all our combat, technology, and medical teams on the grounds stat. One team from each section can stay behind, please sort that out with the leaders of each of your sections - they'll know best. Stay safe everyone and be prepared.’_ The microphone is turned off as everyone begins to talk. Dave reaches us, a focused look on his face. He stands on top of one of the recreational tables near us, calling over all the combat teams.

"ALRIGHT, TEAM 5 WILL STAY BACK. TEAM 5, PLEASE COLLECT THE EMERGENCY COMBAT TOOLS AND BRING THEM TO EACH TEAM'S TRUCK. GET HELP FROM OVER SECTIONS IF REQUIRED. THE TEAMS ON THIS JOB PLEASE BEGIN MAKING YOUR WAY TO YOUR TRUCKS, AND BEGIN PREP AND SETTING UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE," he yells. My team and I begin moving, all of us running to our truck. When we reach the truck, team 5 has already placed our stuff there. I quickly strap in my guns and knives, concealing a few just in case Dave's suspicions are true.

"I'm surprised you managed to convince him to let you go," Tree laughs, placing a hand on my shoulder. I turn to face him, shrugging my shoulders.

"Just my charm I guess," I mumble, double-checking my ammo and guns are all secure.

"Or maybe Mr. Escamilla has a crush on you back," he teases, ruffling my hair. I shake my head, internally laughing at his stupidness. _There's no way Dave would have a crush on me._ I slip on my mask and enter the truck, sitting across from Tree. I study everyone else's masks, noticing how they all reflect who each person is. I smile softly underneath my mask as one of the Runaways enter the truck and turn on the engine. The doors are closed and we begin to drive to our destination.

**\---**

We arrive at the bridge in less than ten minutes, all the leaders of their sections are present.

"Alright everyone, we don't have a lot of time left - so we have to do this quick. The tech team is already on their way to try and disable the bombs. The medical teams will be placed in different sections so we can tend to any civilians that might be injured. Please stick with your teams, unless you've been told otherwise, and keep your eyes peeled. Alright, let's go, everyone," Dave quickly addresses. Dave approaches us as the medical teams began making their way to their locations. He places his hand on my shoulder.

"You're with me," he quietly mutters. I nod. After Dave organises everyone and everything, we begin to make our way to the bridge. We are immediately faced with gunfire, and we duck behind a bus as higher ranked combat members, including Dave, fire at the shooters. After the short shoot out finishes, we continue making our way to bridge. As we walk past cars, I notice they're all empty. I nudge Dave.

"Look at the cars, they're all empty. There's no way they could've all left without us knowing," I whisper. Dave's eyes widen, looking at me.

"It's an ambush." When his sentence finishes, a truck flies on to the centre of the bridge, a cloud of dust flooding the bridge. A large group of men exit the truck and emerge from cars, ready to fight. We all scatter. I begin shooting at people making their way to me. I run towards a buff man, kicking him in the face before shooting him in his neck. I look and see Oli exit the truck. He looks at me, smirking, and makes his way towards me.

I begin to move away, but I'm blocked by a car. One of the bombs goes off, just merely missing Oli by a metre. Oli and I are now stuck together. I go to jump over the car, but he grabs me by my hair. He pulls me to him and looks down into my eyes.

"What's going on, love? You look a bit baffled. I think we tricked you," he chuckles. I slip out my knife and go for his neck. He grabs my wrist tightly, and I drop the knife. He tsks, pulling me close.

"Thought'd you know better by now. Let's save our good friend Dave some trouble and so this the easy way. How about that?" he mockingly says, digging his fingernails into my wrist.

"Fuck, LET ME GO!" I hiss, trying to pull my wrist away from him. I try and figure out which technique I can use to get out of his grip, but it's like death. There's no way I can get out of this grip. We see Dave in the distance. Oli pulls me against his body, placing his knife against my neck.

"One fucking move and I kill Dave, got it?" His hot breath hits my neck, and I nod.

**D A V E ' S P O V**

"RAIN!" _Where the fuck is she? I shouldn't have let her out of my sight. Fuck I shouldn't have even let her come. I'm a fucking idiot_. I turn to my right and see Oli holding Rain, a knife against her neck. Fury fills me, and I growl. _He's going to regret this_. I run over to the two of them, skidding in front of them as the bridge shakes. His grip tightens at the sight of my presence. Tears stain her cheeks, but redness fills his entire face.

"Dave I'm sorry, I should've listened to you," she weeps, making my heart sink and the fury drain from me. _It wasn't your fault, Rain. Please don't blame yourself_. I step closer, but Oli only tsks.

"Leave before I make a mistake, Dave," he spits out, pulling her close to him as he puts a knife against her neck. I clench my fist in one hand, the other hand clenching my gun. "Don't make a mistake either, or else her pretty little head will be at your front door," he growls, staring at my gun. I let go of it, sliding it back into its slip.

"Please, Oli, just let her go," I plead. He only smirks.

"Gladly," I watch as she falls off the ledge, disappearing from my sight. Oli bolts as I skid over the ledge, looking over. She screams, not noticing me, as hangs onto a metal rod sticking out of the broken foundation. I grab her hand quickly, causing her to look at me.

"RAIN, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. HOLD ON," the foundation breaks more, and we move closer to the water. She screams as I try to move closer without falling off.

"DAVE, DON'T YOU FUCKING LET ME GO!" Rain screams, digging her nails into my palm. I watch as tears shine against her skin, and her eyes become bloodshot.

"I WON'T, I PROMISE. JUST HOLD ON, OKAY?" I yell, my grip tightening. The bridge's foundations break down again, and I feel my body moving further down. Rain screams again and sobs in response.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE," she wails, her hair dancing around her face. I reach further up her arm, trying to pull her up even more. I shake my head. _It won't work_. Then it clicks.

"RAIN, DARLING, LOOK AT ME," I call, staring deep into her eyes. Her tears are flowing by the second, and her eyes are no longer bright. They only reflect fear. "WE ARE GOING TO GO IN THE WATER, SO DON'T LET GO OF ME NO MATTER WHAT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" I explain.

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY!? I CAN'T SWIM!" she sobs, her fingernails drawing blood from my palm. I feel tears building up in my eyes, hating how fucking scared she looks.

"ON THREE," I say, gripping her as tight as possible. "ONE.” Our palms are sweaty, she's beginning to slip. "TWO." She’s panicking now, she's going to fall. "THREE!" She's fallen.

As soon as I no longer feel her grasping my arm I launch my body down the wreckage, keeping my eyes on Rain as she screams her lungs out. We're both falling towards the water, we're both crying. I embrace her just before we hug the water, not ready to let her go. We spin around a few times, trying to reach the surface. I pull us both to the surface, and I immediately begin to swim, making sure Rain is holding onto me as tight as possible. I turn around, and Rain is unconscious.

I grab her shirt collar and begin to swim again. I look to the shoreline, noticing Brandon and other runaways standing and watching the bridge crumble in shock. Tree notices me and immediately dives into the water, swimming over to us.

"Fuck, Dave. Is she okay?" he asks, looking at her face.

"I don't know, she passed out when we jumped off the bridge, I think," I whisper. He nods in response.

"Hold her, and I'll pull you over, okay?" he explains, grabbing my collar. I nod, holding her bridal style.

"Everything's going to be fine, Rain. We're gonna get you home," I mumble, kissing her temple. In a few minutes, we reach the shallow waters and Tree lets me go. Tree runs over to Brandon and explains what has happened as I run onto the shoreline.

"Fuck, RAIN, NO!" Brandon screams, falling to his knees as I place her onto the sand. "PLEASE, NO! I CAN'T LOSE YOU AS WELL!" he cries out, latching onto Tree. Tree comforts him as I begin to perform CPR. She doesn't respond to the chest presses, and I perform mouth to mouth. I place my fingers to her neck, trying to find a pulse. My stomach drops when I can't find one. _This can't be happening, she can't be dead._

"Come on, Rain! You're not fucking dying on me today!" I growl, tears forming in my eyes before performing mouth to mouth again. She coughs up water, inhaling deeply. I pull her into my embrace, hugging her as tight as I can without hurting her. "Jesus Christ, I thought you were dead," I cried, kissing her temple again. She grips my shirt in response, her body shakes against mine. I let her go, allowing Brandon to see his sister. Brandon looks up, sobbing when he sees Rain. He leaps over to her, pulling her into a hug. They both sob, a mixture of happiness and anxiety.

I walk away from everyone, allowing Rain to see everyone. I find myself on an abandoned pier, that hasn't been used in decades. I walk down the side staircase, discovering a small section of the beach. I sit in front of the shoreline, watching as the police and ambulance lights flood the other side of the water. I look at where Rain and I were merely twenty minutes ago and begin to sob. _What if I lost her? I would've lost the only thing that motivates me in this godforsaken world anymore._

"In the last five years I've known you, I've never seen you cry, Dave," Tree says, walking down the staircase. I wipe my tears away as he sits next to me. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and moves a bit closer to me. We sit in silence, watching police boats search through the water.

"You really love her, don't you?" he sighs, looking at me. I look back at him.

"The way you look at her, the way you hug and give her small kisses on her temple, the way you talk about and to her, that look in your eyes whenever you guys are together, Jesus fucking Christ man - whenever she's in a five hundred metre radius of you you just... stop whatever you're doing and direct all your attention to her. I have never seen so much compassion from you, especially over a girl. It's so obvious you're in love with her," he laughs, and I give him a small shove in return. I watch as small fragments of the bridge begin to wash up on the shore.

"I'm so fucking in love with her, man... you should've seen her on the bridge. She looked so scared, terrified... if she did die, I don't know what I would've done. I want to tell her how I feel, but I think she'll reject me," I admit, standing up. I walk over to the fragments, looking at them in curiosity.

"Dave, go for it. She needs someone like you in her life, someone who is willing to give it all for her. Someone who won't hurt her and leave her," he says, joining me. I kneel down, looking at something glistening.

"You actually think I have a chance with her?" I ask, looking at him. Tree only nods.

"Do it, Dave. It won't be something you'll regret," he concludes before walking away. I avert my attention back to the thing I had noticed. I push away the rubble of cement, only to find a small, sapphire ring. I pick it up, watching it shine. I place it in my pocket before walking back up to the pier and my way back to everyone. As I move closer I notice that everyone is crowding around something. I bolt over and push my way through. Rain is lying on the floor, passed out again. I motion for everyone to give her space, who move immediately.

"Why has she passed out?" I ask as one of the medics, Benn kneels in front of her and begins tending to her.

"We're not sure. We're going to get her out of here, along with other runaways who've been injured," he explains as he motions for a medic to come over. I nod, reverting my attention to everyone again.

"Alright, we're going to get all injured runaways to go to home base first. It's our top priority, and we'll make our way back once they make it back. Understood?" I command. Everyone nods before starting to help out. I watch everyone and what they do, smiling to myself.

_We're like a family._

**\---**

As soon as the car parks, I immediately bolt to the medical wing. I skid down the hall, looking for the mop head called Brandon. I find him talking to Benn.

"Have I missed anything?" I pant, catching my breath. Benn turns to me as Brandon leaves the wing with a relieved look on his face.

"She's had massive damage to her body, not to mention a pretty bad cut near her temple. She'll be in bed for about two weeks, it's mainly the cut she needs to heal up," Benn explains. I nod, mumbling a small 'thanks' before making my way to Rain's private room. I open the door softly, noticing she's asleep. A chair is already next to her, probably from Brandon or Tree. I shut the door before sitting down in the chair. I hold her hand softly, much like I did last night.

"Fuck, Rain, I wish I could explain everything right now. But I'll wait until you're recovered, darling. Then I can tell you. Please stay well, little cloud," I whisper, kissing her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: talk about a long chapter, 3600 words! Anyways, Dave has finally come to terms with his love for Rain!! Very excited to see how their story plays out and what you guys think of it. Sorry for a super super late update! Being a hectic month. I'll try my best to upload the next chapter ASAP (which should be pretty soon as I've already written about half of it). Hope you read again, soon!


	10. Chapter 10

**_2 weeks later..._ **   
**R A I N ' S P O V**

I pack my bag slowly as I wait for someone to come, ready to leave the dreadful, white, sanitised room I've been staying in for the past two weeks. Despite the terrible features of the room during those two weeks, one particular thing has been on my mind - during the first night in this room, I heard Dave talking to me in my dream. He told me he was going to tell me something important once I've recovered. For all I know, this could be Mr Sandman playing a dirty trick on me, but I have strong confidence that Dave actually does have something he needs to tell me.

I hear a quick knock on the door, making me snap out of my inner debate about Dave. I stand and open the door, only to see Dave. _Speak of the devil_. I smile softly, letting him come in. He gives me a hug before walking over to my bed. _I'm too impatient, I need to know what he wants to tell me. Perhaps playing it off casually might work? Could I pry it out of him through that technique? It's worth a try._

"Hey, Dave. Missed anything during my recovery?" I innocently ask, shutting the door.

"How could've you? I've visited you each day and told you everything from combat plans to what Tree had for breakfast," he laughs, continuing what I began packing. _Shit, maybe it was just a dream_. I bite my lip as Dave finishes packing my bag for me. He stands up, handing it to me. 

"Thanks," I say, smiling. He nods his head before walking over to the door and opening it. I exit and he follows. We walk down to the desk check me out. We approach Marisa, a young runaway who's on security with Brent.

"Don't worry, Rain. Brandon's already checked you out of your room. Don't get any more injuries, okay?" she tells us, laughing at the end. Dave and I laugh in response.

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe," Dave says, ruffling my hair. I hit him in his ribs, and he jokingly clutches his side. Marisa shakes her head, smiling to herself as Dave and I leave the wing. We enter the main room, waiting for Brandon to come to meet us. Brandon runs over before tackling me and giving me a bone-crushing hug.

"Fuck, I've missed giving you those hugs," he sighs, letting me go. He grabs my bags, despite my pout. I sigh, turning to Dave.

"Thanks for everything that you and the runaways have done for me in the past two weeks," I smile, hugging him softly. Dave kisses my temple before letting me go.

"No worries, just stay safe," he replies. Brandon and I exchange goodbyes with Dave and other runaways before walking past Brent and out the warehouse. We begin making our way home through the woods, following a walking track.

"So, how were those god awful rooms, little cloud?" Brandon teases, jumping down from a small rock. I jump after him, laughing.

"A lot of fun, the best room I've ever had," I sarcastically answer, large ferns brushing against my legs as we move closer to our house.

"Good to know," he smirks. We continue talking about our weeks and how everyone has been. Soon enough we reach our house. I jump up and down in excitement, running to the back door. Brandon laughs at me as he unlocks the door, and I fly inside.

"Oh my god, I've truly missed you, house," I groan, flopping onto the couch. Brandon shakes his head as he walks past me and up the staircase. I stretch my body, arching my back softly before flopping down again. I grab the TV remote, flicking it on. _Kardashians_ , _Sesame Street_ , _Bold and the Beautiful_ \- _Scream_. I smile to myself, watching as Drew Barrymore answers the phone. I make myself comfortable before continuing to watch the movie.

"Little cloud," I hear Brandon sooth, shaking me softly. I bat my eyelashes softly, waking up from my slumber. I look at the TV, seeing Sidney shoot Billy in the head. I groan softly, looking back to Brandon.

"How long have I've been out for?" I grumble, sitting up.

"About two hours, you should probably get some sleep. I've already put your bag in your room," Brandon says as I stand up. I nod in response, tiredly shuffling to the staircase. I enter my bedroom, shutting the door softly. I unhook and pull off my bra from underneath my shirt, tossing it in my washing basket. I pull off my shorts and replace them with cotton ones before falling onto my bed, pulling my duvet over my body. I hug an extra pillow tightly before drifting off again.

**\---**

I wake up, blinking softly. I notice a figure sitting at my desk, and my stomach drops when I realise who it is.

"Finally, awake at last," Oli chuckles, standing up. He sits next to me on my bed, and I reach for my phone. He grabs my wrist, pulling it to him. "Don't bother, I won't be here for long," he whispers, letting go of my wrist. I crawl away from him, grasping my sheets tightly.

"As you and your group are aware of, you are a very important piece of my plan," he begins softly, tugging the sheets away from me softly, despite my tugging back. "And I think you know what that means? There's going to be a kidnapping," he laughs, crawling over to me. I hit the backboard of my bed as he crawls on top of me. My breath becomes laboured, and I freeze. "I'm not going to kidnap you tonight, love, but I'm not telling you when you'll be a guest for the Sykes," he smirks, grabbing my face softly. He leans down, close to my face - so close that his lips brush against my cheekbone.

"Now, our good friend Dave has already dealt with a lot of stress. Perhaps not mentioning what we discussed to him is a good idea, wouldn't want to upset him now would we?" he whispers into my ear, leaving a small peck on my neck. He crawls off me, sitting back where he was a minute ago. "You don't have a lot of time left, so you better keep your eyes peeled," he warns, standing up. I watch as he crawls out my window, making me quickly grab my phone as soon as he's out of my sight. I select 'Dave' in my contacts and ring his number. I exit my bed, wrapping my duvet around my shoulders.

"Fuck, pick up," I whisper, pacing around my room.

' _He- fuck this little shitty piece of metal. Hello?_ ' An, obviously, extremely tired Dave picks up.

"Dave, I need you to come over as soon as possible. Oli was in my room," I explain, biting my lip. I hear him shift around loudly, sounding like he's trying to pull on a pair of pants or something.

' _I'll be there in eight minutes,_ ' he says, now clearly awake. I hang up, placing my phone next to me. I wrap the duvet tighter as I wait for Dave in silence. I think back at to what Oli said to me. ‘ _Don't tell Dave’... maybe he's right. I've already risked my life numerous times and put him in so many situations all because of me. I should cut him some slack, I mean he did say I don't have a lot of time left. What's the point?_ My thoughts are interrupted by a small tap at my window. I look over and see Dave's familiar mask, making me stand up, my legs trembling. I move over to him, unlocking my window.

I push up the window, and Dave enters silently. He pulls me into a large hug, and I fall against him. Dave holds me in his arms, picking me up bridal style. He places down on my bed, and I sit upright. He sits next to me, and I drop the duvet softly. He pulls off his mask and holds it in his hands.

"What happened?" he asks, looking around my room.

"I woke up, and he was sitting at my desk. I kind of just froze when he stood up. He climbed on top of me and just stared at me for a few seconds before he left. That's all that happened, I'm just really freaked out. I mean, I locked up and everything," I lie, fiddling with my shirt. Dave stands up, walking around softly. I watch him as he decides what he wants to do.

"I think you should go back to school, keep it low. Brandon and a few other runaways will be there, they can notify me or Brandon if something happens," Dave proposes, standing a few feet away from me. I shake my head.

"No, no way I'm going back to that shithole," I say. An angered facial expression flashes across his face.

"School is safer than here, Rain. Last time he tried shit at school he got caught," he justifies, throwing his arms out.

"Please, Dave. I'm gonna go crazy if I have to deal with Oli, fucking Mr Shawn and him being a dick. Please - let me just go back! I graduate in what, a week or something? I'd rather just do things I love," I whine.

"Rain, don't argue with me," he growls softly. I fight the urge to just scream at him. He's getting pissed, and so am I. I shake my head, standing up.

"No, I'm going to keep begging and whining until you let me come back," I argue, staring into his eyes.

"Rain, you're not coming back until I say so. Now shut up." I keep staring into his eyes.

"Make me," I whisper. He clenches his fist, shooting daggers into me.

"Fuck it," Dave mutters angrily as he drops his mask to the floor, walking over to me. He grabs my face roughly before pulling me into a kiss. I pause for a second in shock. His lips taste like mint as I kiss back, not wanting it to end. I run my fingers through his hair, and he smiles against my lips. Our kiss ends, sadly, and Dave looks at me with a big smile on his face.

"I'm fucking in love you, Rain," he sighs, pulling me in for a hug. I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"I'm in love with you too," I admit. His heartbeat thumps faster, and the next second he lifts me into the air. He hugs me tightly as we spin around before Dave places me down. He kisses me again, but this time I smile against his lips. He leaves small kisses all over my face before looking deep into my eyes.

"You are honestly the most precious thing in my life right now. That's why I want you to stay low for a while..." he mumbles, caressing my face.

"Fine. Let's get some sleep now, okay?" I say, giving in. Dave picks me up, lying me on my bed. He pulls off his shoes, in which I now realising he's wearing his pyjamas, before climbing into bed with me. He protectively wraps his arms around my waist, and I move closer into his embrace. He kisses my temple softly, and I quickly fall victim to sleep once again, forgetting about Oli and everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: okay, so Dave and Rain might've had the cheesiest thing ever, but I'm really happy with how everything is turning out. Do you guys ship Dave and Rain? What are your opinions on them? By the way - unfortunately King of the Runaways is coming to an end soon, and I was wondering what book should I rewrite next? I'll see you guys next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

**_One week later, graduation day..._ **   
****

**R A I N ' S P O V**

"Alright, a few more photos!" Tree insists, in which Brandon and I groan in unison in response. We smile, waiting for the flash to go off. The picture is taken, and Tree finally puts his phone away. Brandon and I sigh in relief, looking at each other. "Alright, did everyone get their photos?" Tree asks, looking at us. I nod, looking at Brandon. Tree looks back to Dave, and Dave nods.

"Alright, let's go!" Brandon exclaims, making his way out the front door. I laugh softly, shaking my head as Dave stands next to me.

"Excited, little cloud?" he asks as we make our way out the door, Tree following close behind. I nod in response, fiddling with my hands.

"It feels like only yesterday I recused you from Oli at that building," he smiles, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I blush softly as we reach the car.

"Yeah, definitely does," I agree. He opens the car door, allowing me to enter first. He and tree follow behind, buckling up. He turns to me, leaning closely.

"I'll have to leave after you guys receive your certificates, but I should be back for after-pictures and the party, okay? If not, I'm probably caught up in some work, so don't worry, and I'm really sorry," he quickly explains, resting his hand on my knee. I nod, leaning into his embrace lightly. We soon arrive at the school, and we all hop out of the car.

"Alright you two, we'll see both on stage, and we'll be cheering!" Tree laughs, hugging me and Brandon.

"See you then," I giggle. Dave pecks me on the lips, causing Tree and Brandon to freeze. I raise my eyebrows at them.

"Fucking took you long enough," Brandon grunts, punching Dave in the arm softly. He blushes as Tree begins rambling to him about friendship and how friends tell each other everything. Brandon shakes his head, and we begin to follow our fellow classmates inside, onto the stage. I look around, saying hi to a few people sitting near me.

The ceremony begins, and I notice Oli's seat is empty. _Thank goodness_. Brandon and I spot Dave and Tree in the crowd, and we wave until they notice us. Brandon leans over.

"So, you and Escamilla?" he smirks. I push him softly, laughing.

"We're not official, we just have mutual feelings," I murmur as I blush. Brandon and I avert our attention back to the ceremony, standing up to sing the national anthem.

_It's good to know that Brandon is supportive of Dave and I - I don't know what I would do if he didn't._

**\---**

"Brandon Hoover." I eagerly watch as my brother stands, receiving his diploma and such. He shakes Mr Shaun's hand firmly, an intimidating look on his face. I contain my laughter as a bewildered Mr Shaun collects my diploma, pulling himself together again.

"Rain Hoover." I stand proudly, receiving my diploma. _Thank god that's over and done with_. I look back to Dave and Tree. Dave quietly stands, giving me one last look before leaving. I smile softly, hugging Brandon after sitting next to Brandon on the seats in front of the stage.

About twenty minutes into the ceremony, Oli finally appears on stage. He quietly blends into the students, taking his seat. I watch him in curiosity as he rubs his wrists as if he's injured them. I shake the thought off, watching as a guy named William receives his diploma. We clap, but I can't stop the tugging thought of Oli.

**\---**

"Alright, let's get these pictures!" Tree excitedly squeals, with Brandon and I groaning once again. Brandon turns to me, looking around.

"Where's lover boy?" he asks.

"Caught up in work," I explain, holding up my diploma. We face the camera, and Tree takes the photo. Tree hands me the camera so I can take a photo of him with Brandon. As I stand in front of them, I notice Oli and Andy arguing away from everyone. _Weird_. I take the photo, laughing at their goofy faces. We take a few more photos, and I feel someone place their hand on my shoulder. I turn around, only to see Oli.

"Oh hi, Oli," I awkwardly mumble.

"Hey," he replies, smiling brightly. In the corner of my eye, I see Brandon and Tree death staring Oli, obviously not happy about his presence.

"What can I do for you?" I ask, rubbing my arm. Oli holds up his phone.

"Pictures?" I look to the boys again, who have suspicion in their eyes. I shrug my shoulders.

"Sure," I smile. We take a few photos before Oli hugs me softly, making me freeze.

"I'll see you later," he whispers before leaving. Brandon, Tree and I exchange confused and baffled facial expressions. Before we can even begin talking about the moment that just happened, Andy appears.

"Hey guys, can I talk to Rain for a second?" he mumbles, fiddling with his fingers. I nod my head, motioning for him to come with me. We stand a few feet away from Brandon and Tree.

"I, uh- I just wanted to apologise about basically ditching you guys," he laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's fine. It’s just you... kind of disappeared," I frown, looking at Andy. His eyes hold no light anymore like he's seen some serious things throughout the months.

"Commitments outside of school, family drama, drama in general. Just little things that pulled me away from all of you, I guess," he mutters. I grab his hand, pulling him back to Brandon and Tree. 

"Doesn't matter, we still love you," I say, hugging him. He freezes before hugging me back. We take a few photos with Brandon, and the atmosphere shifts to like those days we hung out.

_It's nice to have Andy back in my life - I missed him._

**\---**

Brandon and I walk inside, sighing from relief. _What an exhausting day_. He quickly tosses his graduation stuff on the couch before grabbing car keys and his wallet.

"Where are you going?" I question, placing my hands on my hips. He makes his way to the front door, turning to me.

"I'll be back in half an hour or less. Then we can celebrate!" Brandon smirks before leaving. I shake my head before making my way upstairs and beginning to undress.

**\---**

I rinse the soap bubbles out of my hair, running my fingers through my hair. I turn off the knobs, my body now relaxed and freshened. I exit the shower, wrapping my towel around my body.

I enter my bedroom, making a beeline over to the window to shut the blinds. I shut the blinds before beginning to dry myself. I hum softly, hanging my towel up on my door before pulling on my underwear and pyjamas.

As I begin to walk over to my desk, a loud bang and thud disrupts me. I turn around, only to see a broken pair of blinds and a bloody, injured Dave curled up on the floor. I gasp in shock, running over to him. I kneel next to him, holding his face in my hands.

"Rain, please my body, it hurts," he moans. I study the multiple cuts he has on his body, and I freeze at the sight of a massive cut on his torso. I grab his wrists, dragging him into the hallway. The front door opens. _Brandon_.

"BRANDON, GET UP HERE NOW!" I scream. I hear footsteps rapidly running up the staircase, and I see Brandon skid into the hallway. He takes Dave from my arms, pulling him into the bathroom.

"Fuck, make him stay awake," Brandon mutters. I nod as he makes his way to find the first aid kit.

"Dave, tell me what happened, or just something that can keep you awake and talking," I beg, pushing back the hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. He looks at me with his hazy eyes, his eyelashes batting softly.

"There once was a Mr Beetle who had a Mrs Beetle. One day Mr Beetle was horny and he fucked Mrs Beetle. The end," he snorts, which turns into laughter. I shake my head at his story. _Who did this to him?_

"When I'm not losing my blood and not acting like a lunatic, will you fuck me Mrs Beetle?" he sighs, playing with my fingers.

"Don't even answer that question, I don't need to know about my sister's sex life," Brandon mumbles, returning with the first aid kit and alcohol. He hands me a bottle of Jack before preparing the needle and sting.

"No don't - no string, no needle," Dave slurs as I wipe down his cuts with water and Jack, starting with the biggest cuts. Brandon quickly comes back with the tools, stepping into the tub. Within ten minutes all the cuts have stitches and gauze wrapped around the bigger ones. Brandon and I are both covered in blood, and Dave is slowly returning to his normal state. After cleaning up and changing into pyjamas Dave and I climb into bed, falling asleep instantly.

_Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this as soon as possible._

**\---**

I wake up the next morning, still embraced by Dave. I shift around, turning over to look at him - he’s awake. He kisses me softly, pulling me closer.

"You feel any better?" I yawn. He nods groggily, sitting up. I slip out of bed, taking Dave with me.

"Come on, let's clean your stitches," I mumble, looking at the time. _Already eleven?_ We walk to the bathroom, and he sits on the counter. I unwrap some of the gauze before beginning to clean the first stitch. After washing the second last stitch I finally ask the question that's been on my mind.

"So, who did it?"

"It was Oli and his men," he answers, watching as I softly wash away the caked blood. I look up at him in confusion, placing the sponge down as I grab fresh gauze.

"What do you mean it was Oli and his men? I mean yes, you are enemies, but why? If it was an attack to send a message it seems so... random," I mutter.

**D A V E ' S P O V**

Rain wraps the gauze around my forearm before securing it. I hold her hands. She looks at me in concern.

"It's because he found out I love you. They said they don't want you pursuing any relationships," I explain. She furrows her eyebrows, her eyes flooded with confusion.

"But Oli hates my guts... and that relationship was just a way to get you pissed..." She walks out of the bathroom, and I follow suit. She begins to get changed, so I stand outside her bedroom door. She exits a few minutes later, shrugging on her jacket. She makes her way downstairs, but because of my injuries, I don't move.

"Rain where are you going?" I call, looking at her over the banister. She shoves her phone in her pocket and looks up at me.

"Don't worry, just get some rest," she plainly answers before leaving the house. I sluggishly walk back to bed and lie down.

_Please don't let her get hurt._

**R A I N ' S P O V**

I park the motorcycle in front of the building I haven't seen in months - the apartment building. I enter inside, noticing how the building's condition has gotten worse.

"Rain! It's been so long since we've had a proper conversation - how are you? How's the lover boy?" Oli cockily yells. I look around and see Oli leaning against a pillar. His knuckles are freshly bruised and cut.

"I see you're still beating the shit out of people. Oli do I need to remind you that we fucking graduated yesterday?" I smirk. He stalks over to me, placing his hands on my hips.

"I really missed you in my embrace, babe. Please tell me you're here because you want me back," he smirks. I try to push him off but to no avail.

"I'm here because Dave says you don't want me in relationships. Now, why the fuck should that matter to you? You fucking hate me," I snarl. Oli's smirk drops, and so does his hands. He steps back, quietly laughing.

"You think I fucking hate you? ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT?!" he screams, holding me tightly, staring into my eyes. _What the fuck is going on?_

"I've been in love with you since freshman year..." he whispers, and I freeze in shock as he begins kissing me passionately. I try to push him off, not wanting him. I manage to push him off me, and he falls to the ground. I wipe my lips in disgust.

"You're a fucking psycho, Oli! I will never love you," I snarl. He stands up, latching onto me. I'm inescapable in his grip.

"Now, baby, you've obviously forgotten that I have a lot of power. I will do as much as it fucking takes to protect you. I fucking hate Escamilla, he doesn't deserve you - I DO!" he rants, pulling me closer. Each word he says, his eyes grow darker. I shrink away in fear. I feel bruises developing as he grips me tighter.

"O-O-Oli, pl-l-lease st-t-top," I whimper. His grip loosens.

"I love you, Rain. I'm so sorry I have to do this," he quietly says. Before I can react, a bag is thrown over my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: there it is, one of the plot twists I've had planned for a while. What are your opinions on Oli's love? Did you see it coming, or are you surprised? I plan to post two new books soon (I'm spoiling you, aren't I?) and rewrite the Johnny Trilogy! I'm being a lot more productive. Hopefully I can finish this before the end of year, which will probably happen as I have a lot of stuff planned out already. I'm sorry if this is rushed! Anyways, hope you enjoyed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning - there is an extensive psychological torture scene in this chapter. Proceed with caution!

**D A V E ' S P O V**   
****

**_A few hours later..._ **

"Dave please lie down..." Brandon asks for the hundredth time as I pace around Rain's room. I pause, looking at him.

"I am not sitting down until Rain comes home. I knew I shouldn't have let her leave - it was _obvious_ she was going to go find Oli," I growl in frustration. Brandon walks towards me.

"Dave stop beating yourself up. If you do this every time you _think_ something has happened to Rain, or fuck even if something _does_ happen to her, you're only going to cause more pain to yourself and make yourself vulnerable. So fucking stop - I'm sure she's fine," Brandon explains. The anger in his voice when he mentions the possibility of her being hurt makes me freeze. _Brandon is never angry_.

"You're right, but that doesn't mean I'm going to exclude the possibility or lie down," I say. Brandon laughs before motioning for me to come downstairs.

"If you're going to pace around, at least do it downstairs so: One, you can eat and use the bathroom. Two, you can immediately hug her when she comes back," he smirks. I sigh, before following him.

_I swear to God if Oli has laid a finger on her, he will never see the light of day_ ever _again once I get to him._

**R A I N ' S P O V**

I wrap my arms around my body as I walk down the pitch-black hallway, feeling the most vulnerable I've ever felt being only in my underwear. The silence is agonising as I try to guide myself down the hall. A massive bang snaps next to my ear, making me scream and fall.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" I sob, covering my face. For the past twelve hours, I've been driven down to the furthest pit of fear and treaded in the dark waters of anxiety. Several panic attacks, three anxiety attacks. Spiders, snakes, insects, hands, knives, scissors, guns, rope, blindfolds, gags, chains, Oli's voice following me everywhere - fuck, he's even followed me through the darkness -, strobe lights, sitting in a bathtub, being suspended. Oli has gone all his way out to scare me.

"Kitten, it's simple - I'm testing your fear, anxiety, strength and mentality. I already told you I do not want to do this, but it's for the best," his voice echoes around the hall. "Kitten, just one more test. One more and then I'll let you out," I sniffle, thinking of the chances of him lying or not.

"Do you promise?" I whimper.

"I promise," Oli's voice assures behind me, causing me to jump. Oli wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his embrace. "Everything will be fine, kitten," he tells me, picking me up bridal style. He walks for a few minutes before he stops and sets me down. My legs shake as I wait in fear. Lights flash on, causing me to squint my eyes as I've been in pitch-black darkness for so long.

My eyes adjust to the light and I take a moment to look at myself. My knees and elbows are grazed, along with other parts of my body. I'm covered in blood, dirt, sweat, saliva and tears. My underwear and bra have developed holes, but that's the least of my concerns.

"Look up, kitten," I hear Oli say softly in my ear. I look up and see a large tank of water. I freeze in fear, collapsing to my knees. I begin to cry. "What wrong?" Oli asks, kneeling in concern. I sob shaking my head.

"I c-c-c-can't d-d-do i-i-it. I-I d-d-don't kn-n-n-now h-how t-t-t-to swi-i-swim," I stutter, clutching his t-shirt. Oli holds my face.

"Baby, if you do this you can go home. I promised you, remember?" I nod, sniffling like I'm sick. Oli picks me up again, holding me tightly. He climbs a ladder, and when reaching the top he sits me down. He pulls out a blindfold, wrapping it around my eyes. "I'm right here, and I'm not letting you die. Okay?" he tells me, leaving a kiss on my cheek. I nod and I feel my body enter the water. I hold my breath, trying to remember how to prevent myself from drowning. I start to kick my legs, hoping I'm doing something. After what feels like an eternity, I feel a hand wrap around my wrist that pulls me up. Oli pulls me into his embrace as I cry softly. He removes the blindfold, kissing my temple.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," he whispers.

And that's the last thing I hear before I slip into the void of unconsciousness.

**D A V E ' S P O V**

I look at the time, twelve twenty - three. Brandon is still awake, looking at me in concern. I haven't eaten, used the bathroom or moved ever since we came downstairs. I sigh, fiddling with a stray string on my gauze. I hear a knock on the door, and I immediately bolt to the front door.

I slam open the door just as the squealing of tires fills my ears. I look down, seeing Rain on the verge of passing out, nearly naked with a note pinned to her bra strap.

"Fuck - BRANDON!" I yell, lifting her and bringing her inside. In the light I can see her better - she’s covered in bruises, grazes, cuts, blood and dirt. She's wet, has chapped lips and breathing heavily. Brandon skids into the room, immediately turning red at the sight of Rain. He takes her out of my arms, lying her down on the kitchen table. He races to his room and back, carrying his medical equipment. I watch intently as he begins to tend to her. I rip the note off her strap and read it in desperation.

**_Dear, the King and Runaways,_ **

**_David - you're 'queen' is fine, so do not worry. I did not hurt or harm her. I simply gave her a test. I tested her fear, anxiety, strength and mentality. Now I must say, her fear and anxiety is not strong, but her strength and mentality is._ **   
**_  
Now, I didn't test her just because I felt like it - this is a message and a warning. Our war is commencing soon, and I think you should begin training up your Runaways. By the end of this war, I will take back what's rightfully mine - Rain. It was painful having to test her, honestly.  
_ **

****_Maybe you shouldn't let your 'queen' run-off anymore - it's quite tempting to take her back._   
  
_Sincerely, Oliver._

I scrunch the paper in anger, screaming and throwing the ball of paper in frustration. _That sick fuck dared to lay a hand on my Rain, my precious queen!_

"THAT SICK BASTARD TORTURED RAIN AS A FUCKING MESSAGE TO TELL US HE'S STARTING A WAR! AND HE HAD THE FUCKING NERVE TO THREATEN TO TAKE HER AWAY FROM US BECAUSE 'SHE IS RIGHTFULLY HIS'!" I snarl, slamming my fist against the table. Brandon pauses, looking up at me.

"He's not gonna lay another finger on my baby sister. If he thinks he can take her away he's a fucking nutter," he mutters, finishing up on Rain. "Please get her washed up and dressed - I need to read whatever this insane asshole said," he commands, grabbing the note. I pick her up bridal style, taking her upstairs. I lie her down on her bed, pulling out her pyjamas.

As I lay them on her chair I hear a loud smash from downstairs, continued by more smashes and screaming.

_'_ _THAT FUCKING PRICK! I'M GOING TO RIP HIS HEAD OFF!'_

I lightly shake Rain, getting her to wake up. Her eyes flutter open. Instead of the beautiful bright eyes I had seen earlier, I see dark, empty eyes. _He fucking broke her._

"D-Dave," she whimpers, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down. She sobs into my shoulder.

"Shh, it's okay now. Let's get you cleaned up," I whisper, picking her up. I sit her down on the counter, running the taps on the bathtub. I create bubbles in the water, hoping to calm her down.

"Rain, can you take of your undergarments for me?" I ask. She shakes her head, so I lift her up, standing her in front of the tub. I unclasp her bra, placing it on the counter before pulling down her panties. I stare at the holes in her panties before placing them on the counter.

"Is there anything in the tub?" she asks, slightly cowering against my body.

"No, just bubbles," I tell her. She nods before stepping into the tub. I grab the sponge, body wash, shampoo and conditioner sitting on the wire rack before placing them down on the counter. I strip down to my boxers before stepping into the tub with her. She furrows her eyebrows.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to try and get you to relax, okay?" She nods her head.

"Come lean against my chest," I instruct. She turns around and leans against me. I grab the sponge, soaking it. I squeeze some body wash onto it before lathering it onto her back softly, washing away the dirt. I wash away the suds and do the same to her arms.

As I continue to wash her she becomes more relaxed, the tension in her shoulders loosened, the coldness she felt replaced by the warmth of my embrace. I cautiously wash her legs, chest and crotch, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. She takes it fine. I wash her hair, combing out the dirt and blood matted in her hair.

Once I finish she curls against my chest. _She looks so peaceful lying in my arms_. I comb my fingers through her hair.

"Dave, why'd Oli do this?" she whispers, tracing my chest tattoo. I begin to braid her hair as she reaches the end of the tattoo.

"I don't know, baby girl. But all I know is that I'm not letting him hurt you or take you away," I answer, delicately folding and tucking her hair.

"He told me he loves me," she confesses, tracing shapes on my bicep. I grab a hair tie from the counter and tie her hair before letting the braid fall.

"Well, that sucks for him, because I was wondering if you want to be my girlfriend? I know it's been only a week, and we haven't gone on any dates, but we're in love so-" she interrupts my rambling by kissing me softly. I smile, kissing back. The kiss breaks and I look into her now brightened eyes.

"I'd love to be your girlfriend, boyfriend," she giggles.Ihug her, letting her lie against my chest. _To some people, this would sound super rushed to them. But we could care less._

_Boyfriend_ \- _gonna need to get used to that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: hope you enjoyed that chapter! A bit short, but that's not what matters. I plan to post the new books soon - The Painter (Vic Fuentes) and Those Who Slay Together, Stay Together (Austin Carlile). I'll probably post the Austin one first. Hope you're all looking forward to it :)


	13. Chapter 13

**D A V E ' S P O V**

"B-Babe, can I w-wear your jumper?" Rain murmurs. I blush when she calls me babe before nodding. I grab it and pull it over her head, smiling at how cute and adorable she looks in my massive jumper. I pick her up before lying her down, I kiss her forehead before going to her windows, locking all of them. I hear a knock on the door, causing her to cower in fear. I frown.

"It's fine, it's just Brandon," I assure her before walking over to her door. I open the door and see Brandon standing on the other side, as predicted. I allow him in and he walks over to her.

"Are you feeling better, little cloud?" he whispers, sitting on her bed. She nods as I sit next to her, fiddling with my sweater.

"Can you tell us what happened? Or do you not want to talk about it?" he gently asks as she leans into my embrace. She nods again as I wrap my arm around her.

"I-I went t-t-t-to their building. No one was t-there except O-Oli. I confronted him a-a-about the whole thing with Dave, accusing him of h-hating me..." Brandon raises his eyebrow at 'accusing'. "He then told me that he's b-b-b- been in l-l-love with me since freshman year before k-k-k-k-k-kissing me. I p-p-p-pushed him off and called him a psycho. He knocked me out and I woke up only in my underwear and bra. I-I was tested with all these different things - animals, insects, chains, weapons... there was so much..." she whispers. She pauses, looking down at her fingers, tears forming in her eyes. "H-he put me into a t-t-tank of water a-and forced me to s-s-swim." Rain continues. My arm tightens. _The sick bastard is going to pay, how dare he put all that pain on her?_ "I passed out and then I woke up here," she finishes, grasping my hand. I kiss her temple, letting her quietly cry into my shoulder. I watch as a fuming Brandon stands before leaving.

_Oliver fucking Sykes is going to pay for all the things he's done._

**B R A N D O N ' S P O V**

_THAT LITTLE SHIT WILL PAY FOR EVERY SINGLE FRAGMENT OF PAIN HE INFLICTED ON MY BABY SISTER. HOW DARE HE CLAIM HIS LOVE THEN HURT HER? I'M GOING TO BASH HIS FUCKING BRAINS IN!_

I park in front of the warehouse, quickly getting inside. Brent notices my anger and says nothing as I barge inside. I notice Tree standing by the staircase, talking to a few friends.

"TREE GATHER UP THE BOYS! WE'RE KICKING SYKES' ASS!" I scream at him, silence falling over everyone. I'm always calm and quiet, I'm never loud or pissed - everyone is in shock from my behaviour. Tree nods, not saying a word. Brent, Benn, Dave's most trusted men, the medical and combat boys and Tree return.

"Sykes fucking tortured Rain, and I'm not waiting for another second to return to goddamn favour. Got it? Round up the van and a few bats and shit," I mutter. They all stand in silence. "WHAT ARE YOU FUCKING WAITING FOR? LET'S GO!" I yell. We all scatter away, Tree and I rounding up weapons and medical things.

"That prick is getting what he deserves," Tree comments, tossing some chains in the bag. I don't respond - all I can see is red.

The filthiest red that exists.

**\---**

We park the van in the field, waiting for Sykes to come. Instead of an ambush, we rounded up a few combat boys to snatch the bastard himself. I tap the metal bat against my shoe, waiting to smash it against his fucking face. We hear the boys yelling curses and insults outside. He's here. We push open the doors just as they shove him to his knees. I jump out, walking to Sykes. He stares into my eyes, a black eye already forming.

"Ah - pussy Hoover. Should've known it was you who organised the gig. Gotta say, your sister is pretty fucking hot in her underwear - those curves, her perky little tits, he cute little arse. I bet Dave loves it when he gets to shove his cock in that," he laughs, a little bit of blood dribbling out of his mouth. My anger only grows.

"Keep talking yourself up, Sykes - he’s only gonna give you a more brutal beating," Benn says, reading my mind. I place the metal bat on his head, resting it there.

"Any last comments before you lose some teeth?" I bark, tapping the bat lightly. He gives me a toothy grin.

"Rain is like a piece of fucking candy when she's naked." I lift the bat and swing hard against his face. He slumps to the ground, clutching his cheek as he cackles.

"Oh fuck, Hoover. Where was this in high school?" he chuckles. I kick him in the ribs violently before swinging the bat down to his shins. I toss the bat to the side.

"Someone give me the nailed bat," I mutter. I'm silently given it, and I immediately swing it to his face. There is a large gash on his face from a nail, bleeding profusely. I swing the bat a few more times, watching the blood seep through his clothes. I ditch the bat and decide to punch. I punch him right in the jaw, fuming with anger.

"Y-YOU FUCKING P-R-R-RICK. YOU L-L-L-LAID YOUR FI-FI-FINGER ON HER, YOU'RE DEALING WITH ME NOW," I scream at him, beating his body. "YOU'RE N-N-NOT TAKING MY B-B-B-BABY SISTER A-A-AWAY FROM ME, OR DAVE!" I continue. I beat him to a bloody pulp before letting the boys take over. Once we finish, we stick a note on his body before leaving.

_Revenge has never been sweeter than this._

**_The next day..._ **   
****

**O L I ' S P O V**

"THEY'RE _WHAT_?!" I yell, standing up in anger. The small boy cowers slightly in fear.

"It's true, s-sir. David Escamilla and Rain Hoover are in a relationship," he squeaks out. I pick up one of the chairs in front of my desk, lift it up and smash it to the ground.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!" I exclaim as I destroy the chair, the boy narrowly dodging pieces of wood that fly his way. I stop, panting in anger. "Get out," I whisper, causing the boy to leave immediately. I punch the wall, creating a wall. _HE HAS THE FUCKING NERVE TO TAKE AWAY MY LAST SHRED OF HAPPINESS! I'M GOING TO TEAR HIM APART!_ My phone rings softly in the silence. I open it quickly.

"What?" I mutter.

_'I need to see you, Oliver,' h_ e answers.

"When?"

_'Now.'_

He hangs up immediately, causing me to sigh in frustration. I open the drawer of my desk, quickly grabbing a roll of gauze. I wrap it around my knuckles quickly before making my way to _his_ office. I don't bother to knock before entering. He sits in his leather chair, looking at me in disappointment.

"Oliver, take a seat won't you?" he says, a strange tone to his voice. I sit down with a slump, still angry. "Now, a little birdy has told me you are in love with Rain. Is this true?" I don't bother to lie, I just nod. "Oliver, I saw this coming. The amount of work you dedicate to her is dangerously high, which concerns me. I gave you this position for a reason, and it wasn't so you can play matchmaker with your life. I'm impressed with your work on Escamilla, but this is getting out of hand. Make Escamilla your concern alone," he addresses me, giving me the exact same look. I stand up, lightly bowing.

"I understand, sir." He smiles. "But I'm not letting you get in the way of my plans either," I growl, lifting up my gun. Before he can react, I shot him in the centre of his forehead. I watch as my father slides out of his seat, falling to the floor. The door creaks open, and I turn to see Matt standing in the doorway. He eyes the blood splatters on the wall before looking into my eyes.

"Jesus, Oli," he mumbles. I shove the gun into the waistband of my boxer briefs before exiting the office. Despite my limp from last night, I'm already far ahead of Matt. "Oli, where are you- Oli, fucking slow down!" Matt growls, following after me. I ignore his questions as I quickly jog down the staircase. I stand on top of the cement block in the centre of the building.

"EVERYONE GET IN HERE FUCKING RIGHT NOW!" I scream, my voice echoing around the building. I hear a stampede of people making their way to where I am, and I tap my foot impatiently. I'm soon surrounded by people who were once considered my father's people, but who will soon be my people. They all look at me with confused faces.

"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP!" Everyone silences at my commands. I've always been known to be quiet and to always keep to myself, so this is probably startling a lot of people. But I could give two flying fucks. "My father is dead - I'm going to put it simply. I'm in charge now," I announce, watching everyone's expressions change to horror, others sorrow and respect. "And anyone who gets in my fucking way has a death wish, you hear me?" I snarl. No response, only the atmosphere of fear and respect. I run an empire of people who will bow down to me no questions asked.

"We're beginning Operation Fallout," I growl, watching as people's expressions turn to worry and concern.

_This war is going to be fun._


	14. Chapter 14

**_A few weeks later..._ **   
**R A I N ' S P O V**

"I-ingredients include - sug-sug-sugar, flour, self-r-raising flour, flavouring and e-eggs," I read, placing the box down. Brandon smiles at me, flipping a pancake.

"Your stutter has gotten better, little cloud - you only stuttered for a few minutes just then," he smiles, setting the pan down. The incident with Oli made my stutter more frequent - often coming in massive bursts, so I would be stuttering for as long as an hour. But since then, everyone is making me read everything to lower the frequency. It's working well, so far.

"Doinganything tonight?"he asks, placing a small stack of pancakes in front of me. I shake my head.

"Dave and I are p-probably gonna have a night in or go to the base to work on the c-c-combat courses," I reply, cutting my pancakes. Brandon laughs, shaking his head.

"I swear he cries when he's not with you for two days," he jokes pouring syrup on his pancakes. I laugh with him. _Honestly it wouldn't surprise me if he does_.Once I finish my breakfast, I make my way upstairs into my bedroom. I enter, noticing my window is open. A pair of arms wrap around my waist. I smirk, turning around. Dave stands there. I kiss him softly.

"What brings you to my bedroom this time?" I grin. He hands a piece of paper to me. I read it, raising an eyebrow.

_Masquerade Ball at the Shining Hall_

_Wear your best formal clothes and masks_   
_Special performers, auctions and food are provided._   
_  
No payment, free to the public._

"A masquerade? Really?" I chuckle, handing it back to him. His arms fall as he gives me a big pout, feigning sadness.

"Please? It'll be fun," he quietly begs, giving me his best puppy dog eyes. I hold his face, kissing him again. I break the kiss and look into his eyes.

"Of course we can go," I smile. His face brightens before picking me up bridal style. I raise an eyebrow as he quickly grabs my bag and his things.

"TO THE MALL!" He announces. I giggle as he skips down the staircase, spinning me around.

What did I do to deserve him?

**\---**

"Alright you two, I'll be getting a tux. Don't have too much fun," Brandon teases. He decided to join us and will be attending with us, it'll be nice to go to masquerade with him. Dave and I nod in unison and make our way to a formal shop. I raise an eyebrow.

"Don't you need a tux as well?" I ask. Dave shakes his head.

"Already have one," he answers as we enter the store. We smile at the clerk, making our way to the mask section.

"What colour scheme do we want?" Dave asks as we stroll down an aisle of animal masks. Their eyes peer down, almost like they're following me, as we venture. I bite my lip - thinking about what colour would suit us most.

"Red?" I suggest. Dave nods in response, his eyes flickering around. He smiles as his face brightens and makes his way to some masks. He grabs two and turns around, holding up two wolf masks. They stop just at the tip of the nose, allowing the lower half of our faces to be shown. The yellow eyes stare into mine as Dave approaches me.

"Reference to the Wolves of Paris?" I mumble. He grins before kissing me.

"You know me way too well," he sighs. We pay for our masks before making our way to a formalwear shop, as I needed a dress and he needed a bow tie. We quickly found a blood-red bow tie before beginning our journey into the endless racks of dresses.

"It seems there is everything but red here," I chuckle, pushing away a pink dress.

In the corner of my eye, I notice a beautiful dress. The red stands out among the other dresses as I make my way to it. I carefully pull it off the rack, investigating the dress. The colour is bright and beautiful, almost like a ruby. The bottom half gracefully flows down to the floor, the top half that obviously shows off the chest. I check if it's my size, and to my luck, it is. I grab Dave's hand, guiding us to the dressing rooms. He sits down at the chair before I quickly dash inside an empty cubicle.

I slip on the dress after undressing, quickly sipping it up. I gasp at my appearance, mesmerised how well I look in the dress. I step out of the cubicle, catching Dave's attention. He stands up, smirking to himself.

"I better see that dress in a bag," he mutters. I blush, making my way back into the cubicle.

_I think I'm looking forward to the masquerade a lot more now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: hey guys. Sorry this was a bit of a filler and short. I'm currently building up to the climax and finale of the book, pretty crazy! Anyways, I hope everyone has amazing Christmas'.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Night of the masquerade..._ **

**D A V E ' S P O V**

"Dave, we're going to be late!" Rain whines as I enter into her room, fresh out of the shower.

"Babe, calm down - I take only a third of how long it takes for you to get ready," I tease, hanging up my tuxedo on the closet door. She shakes her head, adjusting her bun slightly. I smirk to myself as a dirty joke comes to mind. "Now that I think about it, we could even have a quickie or two beforehand," I joke, grabbing my boxers from the bathroom.

"I swear you have the mind of a thirteen-year-old, David," she mutters. I laugh, slicking my hair back with a comb. "Be downstairs in five minutes or else you can take your puberty fantasies and shove it up your ass," she calls as I hear her heels click down the hall. I grin, setting my hair with gel before pulling on my boxers and tux. I adjust my bow tie and straighten out my suit before grabbing the masks. I slip on mine and exit Rain's bedroom, quickly jogging down the staircase.

"Alright, Bobtail, let's get a move on!" Rain exclaims as I walk past her, slapping my ass. I turn around, tossing her mask. I lift my mask up as she puts hers on.

"Hey, that's my job," I wink. She rolls her eyes, locking her arm with mine.

We quickly arrive at the hall and get inside.

We stand on a small balcony with two staircases on each side leading down to the ballroom, watching as the colourful couples dance around the room. Lights fill the room as beautiful music is performed.

I grab Rain's hand, bending down slightly and kissing it. A section of her blushing cheeks peeks from underneath her mask making me smirk. I guide her down the staircase, watching her look around in fascination. She notices a familiar mop of hair sitting at the bar and guides me to Brandon.

"Brandon!" she calls out, catching his attention. He grins, standing up and hugging Rain before giving me a handshake.

"You both clean up well," he compliments, smiling at his sister.

"Can say the same about yourself. Any other runways around?" I quietly ask. Brandon shakes his head.

"I think everyone is having a break tonight - I know a few people are out of town," he explains. I nod in response, keeping his comment in mind. "Anyways, save me a dance for later, little cloud," he asks, kissing her forehead. We give our goodbyes before approaching the ballroom floor. I turn to Rain, grabbing her hand and slightly bending down.

"May I have the honour of dancing with the fairest maiden attending tonight's masquerade?" I ask in a serious tone, kissing her hand.

"My dear sir, you have received my blessing. Now, shall we begin our duet?" she answers, just as the new song begins to start.

"Anything for my girl," I smirk. We grab ourselves a spot in the centre of the floor, the light pouring down onto us. We get into duet positions, goofily smiling at each other. As we begin to dance, I recognise the song to be from _The Phantom of the Opera_.

' _Take your turn, take a ride on the merry-go-round in an inhuman race. Eye of gold, thigh of blue, true is false, who is who? Curl of lip, swirl of gown, ace of hearts, face of clown..._ ' I softly sing along to the song. My hand is firmly holding her waist as we spin, her hand on my upper back before our other hands going together. Rain laughs as I pick her up and spin her around.

"You have a beautiful voice - you should use it more often," she mumbles. I humbly ignore her compliment, averting my attention to the band. I notice the singer's _Phantom_ mask and an interesting jacket. I smile softly before focusing on Rain again, admiring how much fun she is having. Our dancing is filled with laughter and happiness, with some clumsiness here and there, but that's the last of our concerns. We're lost in our fun.

' _Masquerade!_ _Leering satyrs,_ _peering eyes . . ._ _Masquerade!_ _Run and hide_ _but a face will_ _still pursue you!_ ' The singer drags out the final note, ending with the orchestra. We all clap, turning toward the stage.

"Thank you. Now enjoy your night, everyone," he says before exiting the stage. A female singer enters and begins to sing. We continue to dance for countless songs, focusing on each other and nothing else.

**\---**

After dancing throughout countless songs, with Brandon joining in here and there, we found ourselves on an outdoor balcony. We rested, eating and drinking as we talked. Rain checks the time before grabbing my hand and pulling me up.

"Come on, it's the last song!" she exclaims in excitement, ushering me inside. We take our positions as the male singer from earlier returns to the stage.

"Our last song is going to be slightly different from what you've been hearing tonight, but we still hope you enjoy it," he mentions, a flood of confusion flowing through the crowd. He grasps the microphone aggressively and the hall is immediately filled with fast-tempoed guitars, drums and bass whilst the vocalist screams like a madman. Everyone gasps in shock, including Rain and I. A man wearing a Dalmatian mask runs up on the stage, holding a microphone.

"Alright everyone, unfortunately, tonight you will all be dying!" Oli's sinister voice echoes. I look over to a frozen Rain. I hold her tightly as screams and cries of panic escape people's lips. "Unless someone can present to me a girl named Rain Hoover. Now, someone is protecting her, so keep your eye out for that! I would hurry if I were you - we would like the flames to begin," he chuckles darkly, fleeing from the stage. The singer begins singing as people begin to scatter.

**R A I N ' S P O V**

' _When colour starts to fade everything you see is tainted grey._ _As hope drains from your veins f_ _ear will slowly take its place_.' 

I'm still frozen in shock. _I thought I would never have to deal with Oli ever again, or at least for a very long time - how could this happen?_ I'm snapped out of my panic as Dave begins to pull me towards the large staircase next to the main staircase. I furrow my eyebrows, but then realise that the doors and windows have been blocked off.

"I know a way out," he whispers as quietly as possible to me. I nod as we clamber up the staircase with multiple other people following behind us. I stop.

"Brandon," I whisper. Dave comes close to me.

"Go find room twenty-three, I'll get Brandon. Now go!" he barks at me, fear in his eyes. I remove my heels and start running down hallways, checking doors. I finally find room twenty-three in a deserted hallway.

I push the door open and enter an empty room. I turn around, closing the door. I look into the mirror in the door, Oli standing behind me. I don't bother screaming as he grabs me. He turns me around and passionately kisses me as he digs his fingers into my arm.

"My, my is it good to have you in my embrace again," he smirks before placing a cloth on my mouth. I inhale, letting the drugs knock me out as my eyes droop and I slump in Oli's arms.

_Oli only wants me. It's better off this way if I just let him have me - I'm not risking anyone anymore._

**D A V E ' S P O V**

I slam open the door of the indoor garden, finding Brandon frantically searching for Rain. I explain where she is before guiding him out of the garden. As we re-enter the ballroom, I notice large flames beginning to spread, causing me to quickly shove Brandon up the stairs. As I bolt up the stairs I listen to the singer's eerie lyrics.

' _The masquerade... is lit ablaze... surrounding me as fear consumes my soul. There's a maniac within taking hold of me again. No place left for me to hide behind the eyes of a maniac!_ '

I enter the room with a slam of the door. There is no sign of Rain except her heels and Oli's mask. Tears begin to flow down my face. _I should've never left her by herself. I'm a fucking idiot_. Before I can even turn around, I'm hit on the head, causing me to fall to the floor. The last thing I see is Brandon's unconscious body next to mine before passing out.


	16. Chapter 16

**R A I N ' S P O V**

My eyes weakly pry themselves open, a bright light blinding them temporarily. I whine softly as I'm rolled through a hallway, bound to a metal table.

"Fuck..." I whisper, looking upwards. A young, short man with tattoos on his arm looks down back at me.

"You're awake - he'll be happy," he says to me, an English accent, much like Oli's, in his voice. I furrow my eyebrows. _Am I with Oli's group?_

"A-are you apart of t-the Sykes group?" I mumble, a headache beginning to develop.

"Well aren't you a smart one - no wonder Oli loves you," he chuckles. We stop, making my heart pound. _Who the fuck is this guy? Am I going to be stuck with Oli and his group? Where the fuck is Dave and Brandon?_ I hear a soft, whirring sound before being rolled into a dark room. 

"Here you are, sir," the man says, stopping once again. Loud, menacing footsteps approach me, making my blood run cold and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Thank you, Lee. You can leave now," I hear Oli respond. _Oh god no. Please don't let me be stuck with him alone_. I look into Lee's eyes, begging for him to stay. He only ignores me and leaves the room. Oli enters my vision, causing tears to fill my eyes. He presses his lips onto mine, nipping my lip lightly.

"Fuck, I've missed this..." he chuckles, resting his hand on my thigh. _Wait - where's my dress?_

"P-please let m-me go," I beg, a few tears slipping from my eyes. He only stares into my eyes.

"As much as I would love to have more time with you, unfortunately you're going to need to go back to sleep. I bet you have a thousand questions to ask and things to say, but they will have to wait. I love you," he whispers, kissing my forehead. 

And before I know it, I'm already unconscious once again.

**\---**

I wake up in a large room, much like the main floor of the apartment building. I'm hung from the ceiling, my hands locked inside metal shells. I swing myself, screaming for help. I look down at myself, only in my bra and undershorts. My hair has been removed from my bun, stuck to my sweaty forehead.

"LET ME GO, OLI. YOU'RE FUCKING DELUSIONAL - I'LL NEVER LOVE YOU!" I scream, thrashing my body around. I hear a small chuckle, causing me to look in the direction of the sound. He's sitting in the shadows of the room, staring at me. He's watching me with intent and interest. _I'm the gazelle, and he's the cheetah_. I scream again, trying to pull my hands out of the chains.

"Baby, I think you're the delusional one here - you're not going anywhere, even if you get out of those restraints," he laughs menacingly, stepping out of the shadows. I study his face in the bright light. A massive scar runs along his face. _Where did that come from?_ He approaches me slowly, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

"It's a bit of a turn on watching your thrash around like that. I can see it now - your little, sexy body underneath mine, thrashing as I thrust into you whilst you scream my name. You're so... irresistible," he whispers, licking his lips as the look of lust fills his vision. He comes closer, placing his hands on my hips. He inhales softly as I cringe, feeling uncomfortable. He kisses my neck softly, nipping my skin and leaving a few hickey marks.

"O-Oli, s-stop," I stutter as his hands move closer to my crotch. He shakes his head.

"Not a fucking chance," he smirks. He smashes his lips against mine, poking his tongue at my lips, begging for an entrance. When I don't oblige, he bites my lip hard. I gasp and he shoves his filthy tongue inside my mouth. I bite down on his tongue, making him jump away. I spit in his eye before kicking him in the stomach, making him fall over. He looks up at me, an angered look on his face.

"Don't fucking touch me with those disgusting hands of yours!" I snarl. He wipes away my saliva, standing up.

"Watch yourself, Rain," he warns, moving closer. I stare into his cold eyes, sneering at him.

"Make me." He grabs my upper arm, before pulling out a small remote with a button in the centre. He presses the button and the chains undo, making me fall into his arms. He slams me to the floor, quickly getting on top of me. I try to fight him off, but he pins my arms against the floor.

"I'm a lot bigger and stronger than you, Rain, so don't even try," he whispers. Digging his fingernails into my wrists. I wince softly at the amount of pressure on my hips. "Baby, you are so lucky that I have a lot of self-control - there is an endless list of things I would've done to you by now if I didn't. But the thing is, every occasional day, my self-control takes a vacation. Those are some of my most brutal, violent and ruthless days, and that's coming up pretty fucking soon, so you better start watching yourself, or else I won't be around to help you when I come out to play. Got it?" he snarls. I nod my head quickly, trying to prevent the tears from falling. He restrains me again, returning to his spot in the shadows.

"Why are you just sitting there? There's nothing to gain from it," I mutter, watching as he looks up, a small glint in his eyes.

"I'm waiting to claim my prize," he replies, a smirk on his lips.

"What, me?" I question, furrowing my eyebrows. He truly is delusional. He nods, standing up. He approaches me once again, standing a few centimetres away from me.

"Everything about you is a prize for me to claim. Your love, your heart, your personality - everything. Well, not everything. Dave has unfortunately claimed one of your most prized features," he sighs. I raise an eyebrow, confused. _What the fuck?_

"What do you mean?" I mumble, studying his facial expression. _He looks so upset about this - what is wrong with him?_ He looks into my eyes, caressing my cheek softly.

"Your virginity. Something almost every woman holds dear to them and only lets someone special have it," he explains, looking down at me. Somehow, despite me hanging from the ceiling, he is still taller than me.

"I'm still a virgin, you fucking idiot," I growl. His eyes brighten as he moves closer to me. There is no distance between us as his hands begin to move, a mischievous look on his face.

"He's lucky enough to have you and he hasn't even fucked you? Baby, if you were mine you would've spent a whole month's worth of days not being to walk," he says, his lips ghosting against my collarbones. I go to shove him away with my leg again, but he catches it before I can do anything. He down up at me.

"Got something to say, love?"

"The only reason why Dave hasn't fucked me is that he respects the fact I'm not ready for sex yet. And if I was yours, you wouldn't be getting anything from me either, you pig. Is sex the only reason you want me? Seriously, all this just because of your fucking boner?" I spit, glaring at him. He laughs softly.

"You seriously think I just want you for sex? I literally told you I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" he yells, throwing his arms out. He slowly begins pacing around the room, causing me to furrow my eyebrows. "I fucking love your smile, and your laugh. Oh my god, your fucking laugh is the sound of angels. I love how passionate you are to your friends and family, I even fucking love your love for Brandon. I love those little habits of yours, especially how you having that tiny resistance to smile whenever someone compliments you. I love how caring and kind you can be, even to shit bags like me. I mean sure, you'll yell and scream at us but you really want to get to know us past the bullshit. I love how whenever you're completely happy, nothing gets in your way - you're on cloud nine. I love how you have complete confidence in who you are. Jesus christ, I just fucking love you, okay?" he finishes, no longer pacing.

"If you love me so much, then why do you hurt me?" I whisper.He looks into my eyes once more.

"You can't really control someone when it comes to love, unfortunately," he answers before leaving the room. The lights turn off and I'm left to think about this situation for only God knows how long.

_Why me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: holy crap guys, D R A M A is everywhere. A bit of an intense chapter I must admit, but it's very fun writing such a crazy character. Writing lustful characters is a guilty pleasure of mine I must admit. Anyways, the book is coming to an end unfortunately! I'll probably end the book with an epilogue of some sort.  
> Thanks for sticking with me for nearly 3 years now, I very much appreciate it.


	17. Chapter 17

**B R A N D O N ' S P O V**

I sit in the darkness silently, waiting for my questions to be answered. I've been screaming at god knows who's been listening to me, but I've yet to get a response. I'm slowly going mad in this godforsaken shithole. I hear the faint beeps of a keypad, making me look at the door. I crouch, ready to lash out at whoever is standing behind the door. The door opens, and a man walks in. The door closes behind us, a loud slam following.

"Wake up, Hoover," Oli mutters. A small light turns on, only illuminating his side of the room. A large scar runs along his face, making me smirk. _It's nice to see my work has lasted_. "Stop being a stubborn bitch and get up," he demands, getting impatient.

"What a lovely scar, I wonder who put that there?" I chuckle, fiddling with the chains on my feet. A small scowl stretches across his face, and my smirk grows even bigger. I stand up, straightening my posture, being leaping out of the darkness only to land centimetres away from Oli's face.

"OLI YOU FUCKING BASTARD, WHERE'S MY SISTER?!" I scream in his face, the chains not allowing me to get any further. ****

"There are some questions I won't be able to answer right now, Brandon, but it's time for your operation to begin,"he says, a sinister smile lining his lips. I furrow my eyebrows. I feel a sharp pain in my neck as my body becomes numb. _What the fuck?_ I look down and see an empty needle in my neck that Oli rips out. Two guards enter and strap me down onto a cart.

"W-what've you done to me? Did you do this to Rain as well?" I snarl as I'm pushed out of the room.

"Don't worry - I haven't hurt her. I would never do that," he calls out.

"YOU'VE DONE IT ONCE YOU SICK BASTARD, AND YOU'RE NOT DOING IT AGAIN!" I yell, my body completely paralysed now. We enter a surgical room, much like the one at our base, filled with doctors, surgical equipment and graphs. I'm lifted onto a table before my clothes are removed from me.

"Hoover, Brandon, nineteen years old, Rain's brother, and is healthy for his age group. Alright - we can begin the procedure. Ready when you are, Mr Sykes," I hear a woman explain, my ears ringing softly. A scalpel is held in front of me, and a sick feeling grows in my stomach.

"Let's begin," I hear Oli command. I'm turned over, and small marks are made on the back of my neck. Before I can even comprehend what is happening, a sharp pain fills my neck. Something is placed inside my neck and then I'm sewn back up with a needle within seconds.

"Great work everyone. Let's try it out, shall we?" Oli suggests, confusing me even more. My body jolts up, without evening me wanting to. I feel myself move around, almost like a force has a grip on me.

"Well, there it is, ladies and gentlemen. Operation Fallout's trials have been successful," Oli proudly announces. Doctors clap as my body lies down on the cart once again. _Why can't I control myself?_

"Alright, let's bring in David," I hear a woman request. As I unwilling walk out of the room, followed by a guard, someone rolls Dave in. He groans as he looks around, and we make eye contact as I leave. He begins to scream at me as I walk down the hallway, begging for me to assure him Rain is okay.

_Someone save us, please come save us._

**\---**

**D A V E ' S P O V**

"All done, Dave. Thank you for being such a good patient," Oli mockingly coos, making me boil with anger. _What the fuck is happening in this hell hole?_

"Have you done this to Rain?" I angrily ask as the doctors exit the rooms, leaving Oli and I alone. He presses a button on a remote and my body sits up on my own, making my blood run cold. _They've developed mind control technology?_

"That's the thing, Dave - we can't. Whilst the three of you were unconscious, we ran tests on how well your brain adapts and responds to the technology. You and Brandon came back with positive results, but Rain- Rain's brain completely rejected the technology," he explains, making me stand up and walk out the room. He follows me down the hall and he makes me enter a room that isn't the one I was in before. In the centre of the room, there is a medical bed, with cabinets on the walls. Next to the bed is a table covered by a sheet.

"Alright, I need to go collect something, so hang tight," Oli smirks, exiting and locking me inside. I lift up my hand and sigh in relief. _At least I still have control of my own body._

After standing in the room for what seems like an hour, Oli returns with another man wheeling a cart. On the cart is- _Rain?_ I begin to run over to her, but Oli stops me with the remote.

"Oli, please let her go," I beg weakly as she is strapped onto the medical bed. Oli forces me to stand next to her. My eyes become tearful at the sight of her - frightened, fragile.

"Lee, please help me," Rain cries. The man, who I believe is Lee, leaves the room with a sad look on his face.

"Have fun, but not to much fun," Oli chuckles, following suit. I'm still frozen in place, which means the only thing I can do is stare at her distressed face. A few minutes later my body removes the sheet from the table - only to reveal tools.

' _Let the fun begin,_ ' Oli's voice announces over the speakers as Rain and I look at each other fearfully.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning - this chapter includes a scene of physical and psychological torture. Proceed with caution!

**R A I N ' S P O V**

The table is covered in knives, power tools, rope, whips - a countless list of items. My body trembles at the sight of the items, tears in my eyes.

"W-what the f-f-fuck is ha-ha-happening?" I shakily ask, looking at Dave. He lightly touches the back of his neck as tears form in his eyes.

"I don't know, but I don't have a choice," he whispers, touching my hand. He freezes for a few seconds before picking up a large whip. I gasp in shock, fighting against the restraints.

"Dave, don't do this," I beg as he looks at me with guilt in his eyes. He unwraps the whip and stands back a little bit. He raises the whip, striking me across the stomach. I scream out in agony, arching my back as hot tears stream down my face. The whip hits my legs and stomach numerous times, enough to make my throat to burn from screaming and crying. I look at Dave and look at his red, puffy eyes. He puts the whip down.

' _We're not done yet,_ ' Oli's voice cackles. Dave shakily picks up a knife and turns towards me.

"Please, Dave. I know you're in there - don't do it," I cry again as he places the shark place against my thigh. He closes his eyes tightly as he quickly swipes it against my thigh, I whimper in pain. He continues placing cuts all over my body, some places more painful than others. The torture continues for an hour or so, Dave and I getting more emotional with each painful ordeal. I watch as he falls to the floor, sweat, blood and tears covering his body as he sobs.

"Please, Oli. Enough is enough," Dave quietly sobs, holding his head in his hands.

' _Oh don't worry, this is the last one. I promise,_ ' Oli says, his smirk practically in his voice. Dave stands up weakly stands up, stumbling over to me. ' _Give her a kiss, Dave. You'll probably be too ashamed to touch her after this,_ ' Oli taunts, a small chuckle following afterwards. _What the fuck is this sick bastard planning?_ Dave holds my face softly, wiping my tears away. He leans down and kisses me passionately, giving me relief. _I know for sure that wasn't Oli's doing_. Dave unbuckles me, causing confusion to flash across both our faces.

Dave roughly grabs my forearm and drags me off the bed, throwing me to the floor. He drags me away from the tools, forcing me to stand up. He slaps me hard across the face and I cry out in pain softly. I look into his eyes and see the hurt and concern, making me whimper. He pushes me to the floor and kicks me hard in the stomach. I scream in pain, clutching the cuts and marks from earlier. He kicks me in my ribs and sides as I curl into a ball, sobbing loudly.

"Please, Oli. I don't want to do this anymore!" Dave yells. He picks me up and punches me hard in the face before slamming me against the wall. His hand holds my head against the wall, not allowing me to move. I close my eyes as I hear Dave unbuckle his jeans. He moves his hand and my legs begin to tremble as his hand pulls down my shorts. He pauses for a short moment, his sobs the only noise in the room, before grabbing my panties and pulling them down as well.

"I'm so sorry, little cloud," he whispers. I brace myself for whatever comes next, inhaling shakily. His belt makes contact against my rear, and I cry out quietly. He continues for ten minutes, each lash being more painful. Once he stops I slide down the wall, hugging my body. I hear Dave leave and I begin to sob, traumatised from what I experienced.

_Oli is playing God, and he doesn't plan on letting it go._

**\---**

**D A V E ' S P O V**

I hold my head in my hands, sitting in complete darkness. My body is numb and stiff from not moving. Ever since I hurt her, I haven't moved. _I wish I could kill Oli for doing this to us, the sick bastard. He's completely ruined her - I could tell from the look in her eyes_. But even though Oli is the person behind this, I still have this incredible guilt weighing on my shoulders. _I hurt her, I did some of the worst things on earth to her._

"Dave," I hear Rain whisper, making my head dart up immediately. My neck aches from the quick movement, but I ignore it. I look up at the ceiling and see her sitting there. She stands up and walks across the ceiling and down the wall, sitting next to me. Her hand softly touches my arm as she leans in close.

"Don't beat yourself up about this - you had zero control of your body. It was all Oli. You and I both know you would never hurt me," she tells me, making me look away.

"You're just my self-conscious, trying not to make me feel guilty. I put my hands on her, I made her feel pain," I growl, standing up. I walk over to a wall and kick hard, angered at myself. I look at my bloody knuckles, tears forming in my eyes. My knuckles are bloody because of my actions.

"Dave, you were used as a vessel to hurt her. You don't need to be guilty about this - Rain knows you didn't want to hurt her," she repeats, walking towards me. I fall to my knees, sobbing my heart out. Rain kneels down, hugging me softly. _Although she is simply a hallucination, she is the closest thing I have to holding Rain right now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: I can't believe there are only two chapters left until this book is finished! I've been working on this book for nearly three years now, and all I can say is that I'm finally happy with this book. Although I didn't reach my goal to finish it last year, I'm still excited (and sad) to see this book end.


	19. Chapter 19

**B R A N D O N ' S P O V**

I watch the metal door, waiting for it to open. The same thing I've been doing for god knows how long I've been here. I can only imagine what Rain and Dave are going through, so I can't sleep. When I sleep, I experience these horrible nightmares of Rain and Dave dying. _I can't bear the images and sounds of Rain screaming my name_. My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the metal door opening, Oli walking in.

"Where's Rain?" I ask, my eyes narrowed at the sight of the monster in front of me. Oli's dull eyes stare at me with a smirk on his face, stepping closer.

"I'm glad you asked," he chuckles darkly, hinting at something within his voice. I jump up and attempt to grab him, but I am stopped by the mind-controlling system. I growl softly as his smirk grows bigger. "Firstly, we tested our mind-controlling system in our good friend Dave. His results are very good, like yours. Unfortunately for your sister, her results weren't very good, so we decided to put the boyfriend to use," he explains as we walk out the room.

"What did you make him do?" I manage to mutter as we reach an office. I look around the room, noticing all the TVs and muddled pinboards. My body sits down on the chair as Oli circles around me, standing behind the chair.

"He and your sister had a bit of a... domestic dispute, you could say," he jokes, turning on the largest TV. My jaw drops at the sight of my sister, her body bruised, beaten and mutilated. "Go on, take a look," Oli's voice hisses in my ear, almost like a serpent. I bolt to the screen, tears filling my eyes at the sight of Rain. _What the fuck did Oli make Dave do?_

"She hasn't left that corner ever since..." Oli teasingly trails off, mischief in his voice. I turn around, anger the only thing I can comprehend.

"Stop playing games, you sick, obsessed prick! What happened to my sister?" I yell, not stuttering a single word. Oli walks to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. He turns me to face the TV again, and the anger fades away at the sight of her.

"Well, I made Escamilla torture her, with whips, knives, the list goes on. I ended up making him... beat and humiliate her," I swing my fist ready to punch, but my fist is stopped mid-air, inches away from his face. "Ah-ah. Now, now Brandon, don't push your luck - I can easily book front row seats to your sisters next beating. Even worse, I can make you do the honours," he hums. I lower my fist, turning back to the screen. _I hate having to submit to this devil, I hate the fact he hurt my baby sister, I hate that he hurt Dave, I HATE HIM_. The screen switches to Dave, who is pacing around the room. His lack of sleeping is obvious, making my heart break.

"He hasn't been alright either - no sleep unless it's for a minute, eats on the occasion, fuck, he's even started to hallucinate," Oli cackles. I hear another click.

' _It's my fault, stop trying to convince me it wasn't,_ ' Dave’s voice crackles through the speakers. He looks directly across from him, lunging at the air. Oli shakes his head, turning off the TV.

_Who the fuck gave him this much power?_

**\---**

**D A V E ' S P O V**

_I open my eyes at the sound of Rain crying - the sound that's been haunting me for two days. I look up, noticing her standing in the corner. She's wearing her red dress as she holds her head in her hands. I stand up and begin to walk towards her. She stops crying, looking at me with her bloodshot eyes. Brandon steps out the shadows, towering over me._

_"You hurt my sister. I gave you my trust, and you abused that power," he growls as tears begin to stream down my face._ I did - I completely incinerated his trust for me. How could I do that?

_"_ _You tortured my baby sister, and it's your fault," I nod, stumbling back as he follows me._

_"I know. I deserve to suffer," I mutter as he pushes me to the floor. He raises his foot, ready to stomp down._

_"_ _Thanks - now I can have her all to myself," Oli laughs. Brandon's face morphs into Oli's before he flashes me his smirk. I scream as his foot comes flying down._

I scream, waking up from the terrible nightmare. I gasp, out fo breath and thirsty. I shakily stand up before running over to my door. I bang my fists loudly and yell out. 

_There's no way in hell Oli is taking my girlfriend away from me._

**\---**

**T H I R D P E R S O N ' S P O V**

**_A few hours later..._ **

After hours of banging and screaming, Dave decided his efforts were doing nothing and succumbed to talking with his multiple hallucinations - the little piece of sanity he had left. 

Rain whimpered throughout the night, still scarred from the forced actions from two days prior. The soundproof walls blocked out their noises, and silence filled the underground system.

' _This is oak reporting to tattle-tale. All rescue teams file in. I repeat, file in. Over,_ ' Tree's voice mumbles through Brent's walkie-talkie, meaning that the technology teams have successfully infiltrated and unlocked the Sykes' security system. Brent turns to face his group.

"Alright - let's get our family back," he spoke, pulling his bandana over his mouth and nose. The team copy Brent before getting into stance, holding their guns. Brent holds his hand up, motioning for two people to come and open the doors. The doors slide open smoothly, and they all file in.

After disposing of three guards, the young runaway makes his way down the halls he was all too familiar with, leading the small group of runaways. His chest pounds as he locates the room, terrified of how he'll react. Cautiously, he slides open the door, entering with his gun drawn. His fingerless gloves begin to absorb the sweat from his palms as he's passed a flashlight. He switches on the light, and Brandon covers his eyes in pain. Two runaways approach Brandon, unlocking him from his restraints. He looks up at the runaway who found him, and a look of anger immediately stretches across his face.

"You motherfucker!" he snarls, pushing the runaway against the wall. The remaining runaways draw the guns, aiming at Brandon. The runaway raises his hand, and they lower their guns. Brandon breathes heavily, staring into the eyes of the man who betrayed him. "How dare you - you fucking worked for them! You were my best friend, Andy," Andrew places his hand on his friend's shoulder, a look of pain on his face.

"I wish I could explain everything right now, but we need to get Rain and Dave. After all this shit ends, we can sort it out," he whispers.

After carefully walking through the pitch-black darkness, Dave slides open the door quickly, stepping out into the hall. The hall lights blink on and off, a red hue drenching the halls.

_Someone has infiltrated the system_ , he thinks to himself. He closes his eyes, trying to remember what room Rain was in. _Number one. Of course she's in there - he's in love with her for fuck's sakes_. Dave starts to sprint in the direction of the room, trying to block out the thoughts of her being dead already and the worst happening to her. He slides down a corridor, noticing a large group of people crowding around the entrance of Rain's room. A runaway notices him, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Dave!" he whispers, walking over to him. The runaway comes up to him, handing him a bandana. Dave looks down at the piece of fabric. The bandana is the lower face of a skull. He wraps it tightly around his face, tying it on with force. Ruffling the hair of the runaway, he pushes past the crowd and into the doorway, next to Brandon, Tree and Brent. He looks in front of him, only to see Oli holding a knife to Rain's throat.

"You fucking-" Dave steps out of the doorways, but is cut off by Oli.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Oli tsks. "You know I have complete control over you," he reminds them.

"There's when you're wrong, Sykes. We've destroyed all the controls and system," Benn calls out, holding up a hammer. A few runaways chuckle, including Dave.

"You're done for, Sykes - no more toys to play with. Now give us Rain," Dave growls, stepping forward. Oli only chuckles, looking into his bloodshot eyes.

"David, didn't your girlfriend tell you? She's offered herself to me for your freedom," he announces. I look at Rain in shock. _How could she do this to us? Make such a sacrifice?_

"R-Rain..." Brandon whispers, stepping forward next to me.

**R A I N ' S P O V**

"I-I'm sorry. It's for the b-best," I say as Oli's fingers grip tightly. I look at Dave and Brandon with sadness. They have looks of betrayal, shock and sadness. _I can only imagine how much it hurts, but I'd rather hurt them emotionally than have them dead._

"Oli said that if I stay with him, he'll leave you all alone. Before you accuse him of lying, I will always watch him - he's not going to go behind my back," I explain, staring into Dave's eyes.

"You've got your explanation now. Now leave before I slash her neck," Oli growls as we stand up. Dave motions for the group to leave and I sigh in relief - _They'll be safe now_. Oli grabs my chin, making me look at him.

"Just us now," he smirks, kissing me passionately. He softly bites down on my lip, and I kiss him back. He kisses the break and stares into my eyes.

"Let's get you dressed, and just... relax," he mumbles, kneeling and picking up a sheet. He wraps the sheet around my shoulders before guiding me out of the room and down the hall. 

We enter a bedroom and I look around. _Windows_. I run over to the window and smile in satisfaction. _The world_. _I felt like I was going insane from being stuck in those rooms_. Oli's hands rest softly on my hips as he places his head on my shoulder, kissing my neck softly. We look down at the runaways leaving the building. I bite back tears, watching my friends practically dragging themselves.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Oli says, picking me up. I gasp softly as he walks across the room and into a bathroom. He places me down and I look up at him. "There are clothes in the closet. Take as long as you need," he smiles, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. He leaves, shutting the door behind him. I drop the sheet and walk over to the closet. I pull out a pair of underwear, sweatpants, a shirt, and a large sweater. I look in the mirror, studying my sunken in eyes, dirty face and chapped lips.

_If I can survive high school, three kidnappings and simulated torture with Oli, I can surely survive a peaceful life with him. The safety of my loved ones is motivation._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: oh myyyyy, what a woman. I can't believe the final chapter is next! All I can say is I can already taste the relief and sadness of finishing this book. Thanks for sticking with me, you guys.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: I'm so sorry this took ages to get out, but - final chapter guys, I'm actually getting teary! Thank you for your never ending support and love for the past three years. Here we go, chapter 20 of King of the Runaways. Also sorry that like half of the chapter is basically filler lmao. Btw, here's a song that I listened as I wrote a bit of the chapter :)

**R A I N ' S P O V**

I pull on the large sweater, the feeling of warmth and comfort making me groan in satisfaction. I quietly shuffle out of the bathroom and into the bedroom again. I furrow my eyebrows when I realise that Oli isn't in the room. I shrug my shoulders before crawling into bed, pulling the large duvet over my body. I hear the bedroom door open, and I see Oli enter with only a towel around his waist, making me blush. _Wasn't expecting that_.

"Sorry - I thought you'd be a bit longer," he murmurs, walking over to me. He kneels cautiously, caressing my face. "You feel better?" I nod, gripping the duvet. He smiles softly, standing up again. "Don't fall asleep on me," he jokes, walking to the bathroom. He comes out a few seconds later with sweatpants on, confusion stretched across his face.

"Did you see a large grey sweater in the closet? I can't find it," he asks. _I really should've figured that out earlier._

"I'm wearing it," I mumble as he walks over. Oli climbs into bed, pulling me close. My heart beats rapidly. _Shit, did I get in trouble over a fucking sweater?_

"Very naughty, but I'll let it slide," he laughs, kissing my neck. He turns off the lights, cuddling me. I slowly melt in his embrace, not like I have a choice, his breath hitting the back of my neck. My eyes begin to drop, and I turn over. He plays with a lock of hair, braiding it softly.

"It's nice to have you in my arms," I hear him say as I fall asleep, tucking the braid behind my ear.

**\---**

"Rain, Rain? Come on, sleepyhead. Gotta wake up..." Oli soothes. My eyes flutter open softly and I look around. Oli is leaning over me, a small smile stretches across his face.

"Good morning, sweetheart. I know it's a bit early, but I'm very busy today and I want to have breakfast with you," he explains, getting off me. I sit up, stretching my back. I fall back down, yawning quietly.

"Five more minutes..." I mumble. I'm suddenly lifted, and I squeal. I look in front of me, only to see Oli's back tattoos.

"Someone's not a morning person," he chuckles, leaving the bedroom.

"Come on, I get it. Can you put me down now?" I ask.

"Nope," he says. _He's keeping me hostage and acting like we're some happy, cheesy couple in a film? Great_. He places me down, letting me walk with him. I sigh in relief. Him hauling me over his shoulder reminded me of Dave and I, how he'd do that all the time. We enter a kitchen, and I sit down at the island.

"Is this level of the building basically an apartment?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows. Oli walks around to the fridge, nodding. After breakfast, we go back to the bedroom. Oli gets dressed, ready to attend his meeting.

"I have a surprise for you later," he teases. He slowly approaches me, placing his hands on my waist. He kisses me passionately, and I kiss back softly.

"I love you," he mumbles, staring into my eyes. His eyes are filled with hope, almost like he's hoping I'll say I love him back. I smile softly, masking my discomfort.

"I'll see you soon," I reply, stepping back. His face drops lightly as he leaves the room, making me sigh stressfully. _Can I really deal with this?_

**\---**

**D A V E ' S P O V**

"How are we going to attack, Dave?" Benn asks, laying down the map. I grab a compass, a pencil already in the holder, and mark out a circle around the field - representing a border. I make small markings on the line, writing down which teams were standing where.

"We'll need medics on standby, so I think two groups should be at the edge of the field and scatter a few around the border. We want as many combat teams to come onto the field, but we'll need a few on watch. We'll need the tech crew to build bombs and other weapons for us," I explain, writing down a few points. After another hour of discussion and planning, we finally come to an end. I dismiss everyone before walking over to the door next to my bookcase, opening it. I enter my bedroom, greeted by the light coming from the large, warehouse window. I lie down on my neglected bed, grasping my soft duvet. I roll on my side and shakily inhale at the picture of Rain and I.

"Please stay safe, darling," I whisper, a small smile twitching on my face at the mention of the nickname. _It's been a while since I've called her 'darling'. Once she's back in my arms, I think I'll start calling her that again._

_My precious darling._

**\---**

**L E E ' S P O V**

"How the fuck did they get in so easily?" I whisper, staring down at the system's reports. I chew on my lip, reading through the coding and sources. I lean back in my chair, sighing in defeat. "Smart bastards..." I hear some knocking at the door, and I look up.

"Come in," I call out, setting down my pen. The door opens and Rain walks in, closing the door behind her. I furrow my eyebrows. _Oli said he wasn't letting her out of his sight - why is she wandering around the building?_

"Hey, Rain. What can I do for you?" I ask, standing up. She shrugs her shoulders, coming closer.

"Oli's at a meeting, so I'm kind of just exploring. I gotta say, this is an upgrade from the apartment buildings," she jokes, sitting down. I chuckle softly, shuffling through papers.

"So, what do you do for the Sykes group?" she asks as I flick through a booklet.

"Uh, mostly coding, technological things. But I do help out with security and, uh, combat stuff. I'm often out on the field fighting," I awkwardly answer, trying to ignore the mind-control trials. I look at Rain who has tears in her eyes.

"Why didn't you stop him, Lee? From hurting Dave, Brandon and I?" Rain whispers, looking at me. I sit down at the table, looking into her eyes.

"During this entire friendship with Oli, there has been only one time I ever defied Oli. One afternoon, we were beating your brother up. It was quite bad - to the point he was struggling to breathe because of all the blood he was coughing up," I tell her.

**_Two years prior_ **

_"Come on, H-Hoover! Fucking throw a punch!" Oli mocks, kicking Brandon in the ribs hard. I watch him cough up blood onto the pavement as Vegan, Matt and Jordan laugh. I bite my lip, looking at Brandon in concern. Oli continues his brutal beating as Brandon's ability to breath slowly declines._

_"I c-can't-" he wheezes, clutching his chest. Oli climbs on top of him, raising his fist and hitting him in the nose._ Fuck this - it's going too far _. I bolt over to them, pulling Oli off aggressively. I pull Brandon to his feet and push him towards the exit of the school._

_"Fucking run, Hoover!" I yell, the boys looking at me in confusion. Brandon, although injured, quickly makes his way to the exit. I turn to Oli who is fuming at me. I push him against the wall, looking at him with anger._

_"You're a fucking idiot. How do you expect Rain to love you when you've almost killed her brother? How do you expect Rain to love a monster?" I scream in his face. Oli's face grows red as he grabs the back of my head. He smashes my face into a window, and I hiss in pain. He throws me to the ground, pressing his foot onto my chest as he looks me in the eye._

_"Don't you ever use her against me ever again. The day you keep me away from Rain is the day you die," he growls._

"I'll never forget the look in his eyes when he told me that," I mutter, my hands shaking.

"Thank you for being honest, Lee," Rain says, standing up. She walks around to my side of the desk and hugs me softly, rubbing my back as I sob into her shoulder. _I've never talked about that day, I've just pushed it to the back of my brain. But now that I've spoken about it - it's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders._

**\---**

**R A I N ' S P O V**

I flick through the pages of the book, lightly skimming the pages. I place it down next to me, staring out to the darkening sky. _Finally - it's felt like a fucking decade has gone past in here_. I walk over to the tall bookcase, my fingers ghosting over the spines of the books, my eyes flickering around as I read the authors names and the names of the books. Two hands wrap around my waist and I jump lightly. His lips kiss my neck as he chuckles softly.

"Hello, scaredy-cat, ready for your surprise?" Oli teases. _That's right, he had a surprise_. I turn around and nod, staring into his eyes. He entwines his fingers with mine and leads me to a dining room. We sit at the table, a lovely meal in front of us - medium rare steak, covered with a red sauce, herbs with a side of salad and a small bun.

"Fuck, Oli - this is so beautiful," I murmur, looking up at him. He has a satisfied look on his face, obviously happy at my reaction.

"Finest steak in England, a complementary sauce made of red wine. A perfect dish for a perfect girl," he says, a smirk playing on his lips. He leans over to the side of the table, revealing a bottle of champagne. 

"But, it isn't leg-"

"May not be legal here in the states, but there's no one to stop us, babe," he cuts me off, placing two glasses on the table. He pours the champagne before holding up his glass. I hold up mine.

"To having the most fucking precious thing in my life in my arms, where you belong," he toasts, clinking our glasses. I sip the champagne, digging into the meal.

"That was amazing," I sigh, wiping my mouth with a napkin. Oli grasps my hand, pulling me up. He guides me back to the bedroom, closing the door behind him. I furrow my eyebrows at the sight. The room is covered with rose petals, the lights dimmed down. Oli walks around standing in front of me. He holds my hands, staring into my eyes.

"What's all this?" I whisper, looking around.

"Marry me," he replies, a smile appearing on his face. I freeze in shock. _He wants to marry me? What the fuck?_ He gets down on his knee, pulling out a ring. The ring is golden, numerous white jewels lining the ring. A large ruby is in the centre of the ring, reflecting even in the dim lights.

"I'm serious, Rain - I want you to marry me," Oli repeats, holding the ring up. I open and close my mouth a few times. _What the fuck do I do? It's not like I have a choice_.

"Y-yes," I stutter out. He slides the ring on my finger, a perfect fit. He kisses me, hugging me tightly. I kiss him back, fighting back tears. He picks me up bridal style, placing me on the bed. He crawls on top of me and a sickening feeling rises in my stomach. His hands tug off my jeans as he kisses me passionately. I place my hands on his shoulders, ready to push him off. 

Before I can, a knock at the door interrupts. He groans softly, rolling off. I sigh in relief as he answers the door.

"What the fuck do you mean Lee is gone? What letter?" I hear Oli angrily mutter, stepping out to the hall. I pull my jeans back on and cautiously approached the door, poking my head around the doorframe. Oli is arguing with one of his friends, Matt I think his name is.

"I don't give two shits, we're taking them down!" he yells, pushing Matt.

"Oli?" I quietly whisper, making the two of them turn to me. Oli walks over, turning to Matt.

"We'll discuss this in an hour," he coldly murmurs, closing the door. He sits on the bed, holding his head in his hands. I stand in front of him, furrowing my eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" I ask softly, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. He looks up, chewing his lip.

"Lee's left us and the Runaways have initiated a final fight tomorrow," he tells me, grabbing my hands. He pulls me closer, and I fall on top of him. He kisses me, rolling on top of me. His hand caresses my face softly, making me tremble.

"I wish this would all fucking end," Oli mutters into my neck, his hot breath sending chills down my neck. His hand slips down, grasping my thigh as he kisses me again. I push his hand back up, warning him. He breaks the kiss, looking into my eyes with confusion.

"What's wrong, love?" he asks. I sit up, pulling myself off him.

"I just want to wait a little longer," I lie, standing up. I walk over to the large windows, pulling the curtains shut on both sides. His arms wrap around my waist, placing his head in the crook of my neck. His fingers unbutton my jeans, pushing them down. His hands slip underneath my shirt, unhooking my bra and pulling it off. He pulls his jumper over my head, and I slip my arms into the sleeves. I turn around and Oli has changed into pyjamas. He picks me up, placing me in the bed. He lies down next to me, pulling me close.

_I wish this would all end as well, but not the way Oli wants it to end._

**\---**

I wake up, Oli missing from my waist. I slowly make my way to the bathroom, entering cautiously. After I close the door, I begin to strip down and enter the shower. As I washed, I went over all the events of the past year or so. Then I went over all the possibilities of what could happen today. _Everyone I love could die today. Oli could die today. I could die today_. I shake the thoughts from my head, turning the water off. I step out, wrapping a towel around me before turning to the closet. A small sticky note is stuck to the door.

**_The outfit is already on the bed, I know you'll look beautiful in it._   
**  
_Love, Oli x_

_This outfit must be pretty damn important if he isn't giving me a choice to wear anything else_. Hesitantly, I step out of the bathroom and walk over to the bed. I freeze in shock at the sight of what he wants me to wear. I pick up the white dress with my trembling hands. It has a lace top and a long back with a short front. _A white dress - a wedding dress? Dear god. I don't want to marry him. I was hoping that the Runaways, or even myself, could get me out of here before then._

After putting on the dress and getting ready, I slip on my boots and stand up. I flick my braid off my shoulder before leaving the room, feeling sick to my stomach. I enter the kitchen, Oli standing in front of the window.

"Morning," he greets, facing me. He has a white button-up shirt with black jeans and boots on. He starts walking over to me slowly, taking in my appearance.

"I guess you've figured out by now?" he asks, grasping my hand. I nod as he moves closer.

"I know it isn't much, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that we get to be together forever," he mutters. He kisses me deeply, but we're interrupted by a knock. He looks to the door, one of his men is standing in the doorway.

"Runaways have left a message. They want to fight in the field in twenty minutes," he informs us. Oli looks into my eyes, determination is prominent.

"Let's give them what they want then."

**\---**

We pull up to a vast, empty field. I watch as Oli loads his gun, shoving it into the waistband of his jeans. He exits the SUV before walking over to my side, opening the door. He helps me out.

"Thank you," I quietly say, looking up at him. I study his tattooed chest as the wind pushes his shirt back. He had unbuttoned his shirt on the way here. Honestly, I have no idea why. I least against the van as he instructed his men, looking out to the field. A small glint in the tree line caught my eye, making me smile. _They're here._

"Here they come, everyone get into position!" Oli barks. Matt grabs me as we begin to walk towards them, my heart pounding.

"OLI!" I hear Dave scream as we stop. Silence casts over the field, tension thick in the air.

"Where the fuck is she?" I hear him ask, and I begin to fidget. I hear Oli's boots crunch against the dead grass.

"Where's Lee?" he replies, ignoring Dave's question.

"I'm right here. Now where the fuck is Rain?" Through the small gaps, I see Lee step out of the crowd, a few feet in front of Oli. I glimpse at all my family and friends. They look stone cold.

"Fine," Oli gives in, slipping into the crowd. He wraps his hand around my wrist, placing a gun against my temple.

"I'm sorry about this, baby," he whispers, acting like I give two shits. We step out of the crowd, his grip tightening.

"RAIN!" Dave screams at the sight of me, running towards me. I roughly pull my wrist out of Oli's grip and hug Dave tightly, Oli not having time to shoot me as the runaways and Sykes group start running at each other. Dave slips a gun in my hand, pressing his lips against my ear.

"Go get your fucking revenge, darling," he whispers, pecking my cheek. I turn around, shooting at some men who try to grab me, fighting my way through the crowd. My fist connects with a girls nose, knocking her down.

My eyes flicker over to Lee who smashes down a guy with a baseball bat. Someone picks me up, and I wrap my legs around them, flipping them over me. I shoot a few more people and fight two more before I feel a gunshot hit my leg. I scream out in pain, looking up to the source of the gunshot.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" I angrily cry out, holding up my gun. I limp over to Dave, Brandon and Lee who stand in the centre of the field. I wrap my arms around Brandon.

"I missed you," I breathe out softly, shooting someone running towards us. The hug breaks as we begin shooting and fighting more Sykes men.

"EVERYONE STAND BY!" Oli commands, making all of his men run away. Lee, Brandon, Dave and I stand in front of him, Dave and I are closest to him.

"This is our fucking fight, not theirs. Let's finish it," he breathes out, looking at Dave with angered eyes. He lifts his hand slowly, giving the signal to stand by. I grip my gun tightly, my eyes staring intently at Oli as he slowly moves closer.

"Why me, Oli?" I ask softly, stepping closer. He doesn't say a thing, standing in silence. He then screams, running at me raising a knife. As I go to move back from Oli, who's only a few centimetres away, Dave leaps in front of me. I hear the sickening sound of the knife entering skin as Dave turns around.

"NO!" I cry out as Dave falls to his knees, gripping onto the knife. I crawl over to him, tears streaming down my face. He looks up at me, a smirk on his face. I hold his hand tightly.

"I can't believe you did that," I cry, his blood covering my hands.

"It was worth it, little cloud. You didn't get hurt," he sighs in relief. I stand up as Brandon begins to tend to him, looking up at Oli.

"DIE, MOTHERFUCKER!" I scream, shooting him in the chest. He stumbles forward, grasping onto my arms.

"I still fucking l-love you - h-how messed u-up is that?" he chuckles.

"That is messed up, because I never loved you back, Oli," I growl, shooting him in the forehead. He falls to the ground, making me drop my gun in relief. Everyone returns to the field, the silence deafening.

_It's finally over._

**\---**

**R A I N ' S P O V**

**_Five years later..._ **

"I can't wait for them to come," Dave mumbles, his hands rubbing my large stomach. I giggle at my husband as he rests his head on my bump. He stands back up, looking at the finished nursery. He steps back a little, inspecting his work.

"What do you think, babe?" he smiles, turning to me. I stare into his warm eyes, standing up slowly.

"Shit, don't stress out your body. Remember what Benn said?" he says in a panic, concern across his face. I chuckle softly, leaning in.

"I think you worry too much, babe," I smirk, kissing him softly. He smiles against my lips, wrapping his arms around my waist. The kiss breaks, and our foreheads touch.

"I can't believe that over five years ago, I was just a leader of runaways that had saved you from some obsessed maniac. Now look at us - married, and a baby girl and boy on the way," he laughs, rubbing my lower back.

"Who are you, David Escamilla?" I whisper, looking into his eyes. He cradles my face softly, smiling down softly.

"I'm the motherfucking king of the runaways, darling."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N (separate chapter): ... thank you for the three years of amazing fun and compassion. King Of The Runaways has definitely had its moments, including cringy, unnecessary plot lines. But it's my baby, and I appreciate all the love and support you show for this little project inspired by a couple of music videos and album concept ideas.
> 
> Sincerely,  
> DemDifferentStories.


End file.
